Primoris Oraculum Duo
by Loxodonta-Magica
Summary: Sequel to The First Prophecy. AU 6th year, disregards events after POA. Harry with Snape guardianmentor, dealing with past abuse, present angst, changing perspectives and relationships. Later chapters may be violent.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This fic is a sequel to The First Prophecy. If you have not read it, you might want to, as it will be the basis for the events in this fic. Rating is high due to events later on in the story._

_As always, all characters and the universe of Harry Potter belong to the incomparable JK Rowling. I am just borrowing them for my own totally not for profit romp in her playhouse!_

_Welcome back to the readers of The First Prophecy._

**Primoris Oraculum Duo** (First Prophecy Two)

**Chapter 1**

The Trio stood outside the barrier at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters with the Grangers. Hermione hugged her parents before Ron shook hands with her dad. Harry stepped towards Ellen.

"Thank you for letting me come back to your home, Mrs. Granger. It's been great."

She drew Harry into a hug and said, "Harry, you boys are always welcome. I only hope that we've given you a little bit of what you missed in your own home."

Harry pulled back and looked at her, In her eyes, he could see that she had understood more of what had happened to him than they had explained in words. He flushed with embarrassment and she gently held him by the upper arms. Quietly, so only he heard her, she explained.

"I've done a fair amount of volunteer work for a women's shelter. I've seen and heard enough to recognize the look of abused women and children. I know that it's something you want to hide, to feel ashamed of. But, Harry, it was never your fault. You did not do anything to deserve the abuse you received. Thinking that gives him the power he wanted to have in the first place; the control he craved. Your uncle, if that's who hurt you?" she looked at him in question, continuing at Harry's reluctant nod. "Your uncle is a man out of control. He hurts others to make himself feel better. No child should ever have to deal with that."

Harry let himself look into her eyes and saw her sincerity and warmth. He leaned in and allowed her to hug him again, relishing the feel of her mothering arms around his shoulders. It was another moment that he wanted to sear into his memory; to burn away the others that were painful; to have more of this feeling of what a real mother must be like.

When he finally drew back, she gave him a slightly tearful smile, aware that that was what he had been doing. Martin held out a hand for Harry to shake, and when Harry took it, he too pulled Harry into a hug, this one a masculine sort of bear hug, the kind a man can give a boy that is friendly and warm but not overly emotional. He gave Harry a clap on the shoulder and said to them all, "The train is about to leave. You'd better go on through."

To Hermione he said, giving her another embrace, "Take care of yourself, honey. We'll miss you bunches."

The Trio turned then and walked through the barrier.

Once on the train, Hermione headed for the Prefect's car and Harry realized that he had missed her getting that letter. He and Ron finally found a car for themselves and sat down with sigh.

Ron commented, "It's nice not to have to wrestle any trunks or pets. Wish we could do this every time."

Harry gave him a grin in agreement. They settled back into their seats and after awhile, Harry spoke, "Ron, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, mate. You can ask anything."

"Well, about what's happened this summer … how Severus and I are getting along again … are you okay with it?" He looked at his best friend, feeling a little anxious.

"I think you remember now that Snape has never been a favorite person of ours … I mean, he's always been a git to us Gryffindors. But I saw things between the two of you this summer that make me think that he can be okay when it comes down to it. At least he's okay with you."

Harry nodded. "That's what I need to talk to you about. Now that school is back in session, it has to look like things are the same as always. We can't tell others about what's happened, alright?"

Ron narrowed his eyes. "You mean he's gonna be his usual awful self to you again?" At Harry's nod, he frowned. "That stinks, Harry."

"But it won't be real. You need to know that so you don't go off trying to help me or something and making things bad for yourself." He watched his friend try to accept that.

"Well, as long as he's not a total arse, I guess I'll try to keep my mouth shut. At least for now."

Harry grinned and then added, "You can't tell about the wandless magic, either."

Ron looked curious. "Did you try it again, then?"

"Yeah. When we went flying yesterday, we passed a ball back and forth without either of us using wands or hands. It was pretty easy, but a ball is also pretty light."

"Snape's not too light … when you had that nightmare the other night, you made him fall, didn't you?"

Harry looked away, "Yeah. I think that one was instinctive. I was still asleep and I just shoved him back with my mind. He broke some ribs, too. He didn't tell me until he brought me to the Quidditch pitch."

"Ouch. I could tell something happened, though. He was acting all casual and I saw that he couldn't have ended up bumping into that table from the direction he came into the room. So, I guess he had Pomfrey take care of it while you were gone yesterday?"

"No. I took care of it." Harry looked at Ron intently, trying to see how he was feeling about the things Harry was able to do.

Ron ticked things off on his fingers. "Let's see; you can speak to Snape and Dobby without saying a word; you can do wandless magic now; you can heal Snape when he's hurt." He gave Harry a quirky grin to show he was taking things in stride. "On a lighter note, You Know Who didn't try to kill you this summer. All in all, not a bad summer, huh?"

Harry had been grinning too, until Ron said the last bit. He slouched in the seat and sighed. "Not a bad summer if you don't count my uncle trying to kill me. I'd say he did a fair job taking over for Voldemort while he had me. Plus that Muggle git that slashed my throat."

"Sorry, mate. I didn't mean it was all roses. That bugger uncle deserves whatever the Muggle courts do to him." He sat silently for a moment and then asked, "What is happening with all that anyway?"

Harry really didn't want to set Ron off, so he was relieved when Hermione came into the car and threw herself into the seat next to Ron.

She sighed heavily. "Well, the Slytherins are already on top form. I had to put a bunch of first-years back with some older students in other houses. Slytherin is trying them out to see who's good material for their house. Seems they were hexing them to see which ones could take it without crying the longest. Gits, all of them. The poor kids were scared witless." She finally stopped ranting and looked at the two of them. "So, what are you two talking about?"

Ron was watching Harry, noting his reluctance to say anything. "Harry was just about to tell me what was happening with the Dursleys."

Hermione set her gaze on Harry then and asked, "I expect he is in jail, at the very least? How long did he get?"

Harry shrugged. He didn't really want to talk about Vernon Dursley, but these were his best friends after all. "I don't really know. All I know is the judge gave Severus custody of me."

Ron's mouth dropped open. "You mean he's in charge of you now?"

Harry nodded. Hermione asked, "Is it a permanent placement?"

Harry frowned. "I guess. He didn't say. Just that he has it. What's the difference?"

Hermione said, "Permanent means that he has custody until you come of age. If it's temporary, it's easier to challenge and get it changed."

Harry shrugged again. "I can't imagine that anyone would want to challenge it."

Ron and Hermione looked at each other. Ron said quickly, "My parents might. You'd get to be a real brother to me and everything."

Hermione added, "My parents have got pretty fond of you, too. Although, they probably feel it would be better if you are in a magical family."

Harry sat up, suddenly afraid that they might actually do something to change his current situation. "I'm fine now. Really. I'm happy that Severus has custody. I really like your parents and all, but this is alright."

They noticed his anxiety and Hermione put a hand on his arm. "Okay, Harry. We're just letting you know there are still options. We know you've grown to like the professor."

"Even though I'll never get used to you calling him by his name like that," Ron added dryly.

Harry relaxed. "I can't call him Severus unless we're alone. We discussed it. As long as he's in the Inner Circle, he has an image to keep up." He looked at Hermione. "I already told Ron to expect him to treat me as he always has in class. That has to stay the same."

Hermione nodded. "Yes, I can see how that's necessary. Won't that be awfully hard on you, though?"

"I'll know it's not true. I trust him. No matter what."

The door to the car slid open just then and Draco stepped in, followed by Crabbe and Goyle. He looked around at them all and then let his eyes settle on Harry. He stared at the scar around his neck. "Rough summer, Potter?"

Harry acted indifferent. "I guess you could say that. Yours?"

"More of the same; dinner parties, cultural events, things you don't know much about." He smirked at them as Hermione bristled, ready to respond.

Harry stood up. Draco was still quite a bit taller that Harry and Harry had to look up at him, but he stood toe to toe with him anyway. "Our ideas of good cultural events and nice dinner parties are probably very different. I'm sure we both prefer our own kind."

Draco gave them all a superior look down his nose and said, "I'm sure of that." Then as if considering whether he should say anything, he added, "By the way; keep on your toes this year. I believe it will be very interesting."

"When is it ever _not_ interesting, Malfoy?" Hermione asked.

Ron stepped forward, towering slightly over Draco. "Do you know something we should? Are you threatening Harry?" He had his chin raised belligerently as he faced Draco.

Draco grinned, but held his ground. "No threats, Weasel. I wouldn't do that in front a fellow Prefect." He flashed the badge pinned to his own robes, then looked at their clothes. "You better get your school robes on, though. I might be inclined to start taking points on the train for being out of uniform."

"There's plenty of time for that. You would do better to keep an eye on your own House," Hermione said. "Some of your sixth- and seventh-years are already plotting chaos and being bullies."

Draco smiled around at them, giving Harry a particularly pointed look again before turning and walking out of the compartment. Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other and then at the Trio. They obviously thought that Draco had left many things unsaid and were left adrift without having heard any real threats from him. Looking at each other again, they turned and followed Draco as he disappeared down the train corridor.

Ron looked at Harry and Hermione. "Am I the only one who thinks that was weird? He acted like he was actually giving us a warning, and not threatening."

Harry remained silent, remembering back when Draco had talked to him after Slytherin had won the Quidditch game. It was weird, but then again, not unexpected. He sensed that Draco wanted to talk to him. Harry decided he could wait. He doubted that anything Draco had to say was that important, anyway.

The door opened again and Ginny came in with Luna, followed by Neville. The witch with the snack cart was passing by. Harry stepped out to buy an armload of treats that he tossed around to everyone.

"So, Snape gave you some money to spend, I see," Ron said offhandedly.

Neville made a choking noise and Ginny rapped him on the back. She looked at Harry, who remained silent, and then at Ron. "Well, are you going to explain that remark?"

Ron shrugged, glancing at Harry. Harry was looking determinedly at the card from the chocolate frog he had just opened, and didn't appear like he wanted to give an answer. But he didn't look like he wanted Ron to remain silent either, so he said, "Harry just told me that Snape has custody of him now."

Neville looked horrified. "But what about your family? Why does Snape have custody?"

Harry stubbornly bit his tongue. Hermione finally sighed and said, "It's a long story. But Harry's family treated him badly this summer and now he doesn't have to go back to them. That's the important thing. Professor Snape has been good enough to become his guardian."

Harry looked around from beneath lowered lashes, peering at his friends to see how this news was received. Luna was dreamily nodding, like it was entirely acceptable. Neville was swallowing loudly, electing to say nothing. Ginny was just watching Harry.

"Are you alright with it, Harry?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine with it, Gin." He looked her in the eye so that she would believe it. He wanted more than anything for his friends to see the Severus he saw now. He knew the man so well now; he owed him his life several times over. No one else had been inside his mind like Snape had. Well, if you didn't count Voldemort. But that git only tried to hurt and instill fear and terror. Snape had cared for him in ways no one else ever had. Harry didn't want to explain that to anyone, though. To do so would somehow make it less real, or valid.

No one asked Harry any more questions. For them, it was a bizarre thing, Snape being Harry's guardian. They felt like there had to be something better than this for him, but to say it might make him feel like they thought he had gone from one bad situation into a worse one. Harry needed to feel secure, and right now, this did it for him. In their hearts, his friends had their doubts.

The welcoming feast was as massive and filling as usual. The level of noise in the Great Hall rivaled that of the thunder heard above the charmed ceiling. The Gryffindor table was as loud as the rest and Harry was wishing for quiet within moments of sitting down. He had grown used to being more solitary and the chaos of the Hall grated his nerves raw. He rubbed his forehead absently, pushing the food around on his plate.

Hermione leaned in towards him. "Harry, you're not eating much. Are you okay?"

Harry nodded. She gave him an appraising look and then turned back to talk to Ginny and Lavender.

'_You're not eating. Is anything bothering you?'_

Harry snapped his head up, eyes searching the head table until he found the questioning black eyes staring at him. _'I'm just not hungry.'_

The eyes narrowed and Snape's mouth was a grim straight line. _'Harry, our times of conversation may be short to non-existent. I would appreciate it if I did not have to drag every response from you.'_

Harry looked back at his plate. _'I'm just … I'm tired already. And it's so noisy in here. I want to leave and go to bed, but I can't yet. There. Is that enough of a response?'_ He felt irritated and short-tempered.

The black eyes grew imperceptibly softer. _'I know you're tired. Would you like for me to ask Professor Dumbledore to excuse you from the rest of the Feast?'_

Harry shook his head, knowing Snape was watching. _'It would just draw more attention, and I don't need any more of that. Plus, I'm worried about doing magic. We never did any practice with my wand yesterday.'_

'_I recall that someone was begging for more flying time until we ran out of time. Merlin only knows what possessed me to be so undisciplined.'_ Snape was smirking down at his plate when Harry snuck a look.

He gave a small smile, agreeing that it was surprising that Snape had been so willing to forego wand practice to let Harry have a few more moments on the broom. Then he said, _'My friends are all worried about you being my guardian. I think they believe you'll treat me as bad, if not worse, than the Dursleys.'_

'_How did you respond to that?'_

'_I said I trusted you. I told Ron and Hermione not to expect you to treat me any differently in class. So feel free to be your worst.'_

'_You are tired, if you can speak to me like that.' _

'_No one can hear us. I thought you were okay with me joking around … I'm sorry …'_

Harry put his fork down and looked like he would get up.

'_Harry, I'm joking as well. It's alright.'_ Harry looked back up at Snape to see the black eyes staring back in concern. _'I suppose I'm not very practiced at humor.'_

Harry settled himself back on the bench. The noise in the hall increased until Dumbledore held up a hand for silence. Harry sighed with relief in the quiet. He remained silent while the announcements were made and Snape used the opportunity to watch him.

He was worried about how Harry would adjust to being back in school. It hadn't been long since he had been injured, and only one day since he had actually used his magic to fly and try some wandless exercises. He spoke to Harry again when it looked like things were reaching an end.

'_Harry, you know that you can talk to me any time. I may not be able to answer right away if I am in the middle of lecture or brewing is at a critical stage, but I will be here for you.'_

'_I know. Severus?'_

'_Yes?'_

'_I think Draco wants to talk to me again. He came into our compartment on the train and he was kind of weird … not his usual conceited, better-than-everyone self. You might want to check on him, see what that's about. I don't think I can handle it right now.'_

'_I'll see that he gets the message.'_

'_Thanks.'_

Dumbledore finished up his announcements, none of which Harry heard. He took a couple of apples from the table as everyone stood to head up to their rooms. Lagging behind, he waited until the crowd thinned before following the Gryffindors up to their Tower.

Once he was through the portrait hole, he watched as Hermione directed the first-years up to their beds. He gave a wave to his dorm mates and then trudged tiredly up the stairs. After undressing, he climbed onto his bed and drew the curtains. The silence was soothing and he thought a silencing charm might be nice to keep it that way. Getting back out of bed, he knelt down by his trunk. After a few moments he opened the lid. On top of his belongings, his wand lay where it had been all summer. He bit his lip as he looked at it. Finally, he reached out and snatched it up before he could change his mind. Hearing footfalls outside the dorm door, he jumped back onto his bed and drew the curtains closed again.

The wand wood felt smooth and warm to his fingers and he felt a trembling start in his hand as he held it. Hesitating only a moment, he held it up and thought _Lumos_!

The tip glowed brightly and Harry blinked in surprise. He hadn't said the spell, only thought it, as he remembered the words to use. Elation at being able to do the spell at all filled him.

'_Harry?' _Snape's voice was concerned.

'_I'm alright, I just did a _Lumos_! With my wand!'_

'_Well done. Was it difficult?'_

'_No, actually. I didn't even have to say it … I just thought it and it happened!'_

'_I think you've been worried about classes and doing magic. Now that you've done this, do you feel better about tomorrow?'_

Harry thought about that and decided that Severus knew him better than he knew himself right now. _'Yeah. I think I'll be okay.'_

'_Good night, Harry.'_

''_Night, Severus.'_


	2. Chapter 2

**Primoris Oraculum Duo** (First Prophecy Two)

**Chapter 2**

If Harry had thought that classes might be difficult, he learned that he had been worried in the wrong direction. His professors all exclaimed over the essays he had done, with the exception of Professor Binns. That essay had proved to be the hardest of all to do.

In his first Charms class, Professor Flitwick wanted him to give a practical demonstration of the techniques he had written about in his essay. Harry looked at him apprehensively. The wand in his hand felt familiar and strange all at the same time. Somehow he knew he could do a charm just by thinking of what he wanted. But he realized that Flitwick was expecting to see the appropriate wand movements and hear the proper words spoken.

"Come, come, Mr. Potter. Let's see you place a levitation charm on that desk. Move it across the class and have it place itself back in its original location." He waited expectantly.

Harry looked at the floor, trying not to think of what Flitwick wanted. He felt the magic seeking to escape him and he bit down on his tongue.

Hermione raised her hand, waving it to get Flitwick's attention. "Please Professor, I'd like to try it."

Harry was glad of the interruption and even gladder when Flitwick finally sighed and turned away from him. Hermione performed the charm flawlessly and when she looked at Harry, he gave her a weak smile of gratitude. Class continued, and Harry was relieved that Flitwick didn't ask him for more attempts at charms. He would give Harry a disappointed look whenever he asked the class for volunteers and Harry never obliged.

After class, he called out to him, "Mr. Potter, a word please."

Harry looked at Ron and Hermione and they looked sympathetic. Harry sat back down and put his head in his hands. He had never been held back after Charms. Now he would be late for his first Potions class. Severus would kill him. Even as he thought it, Snape was in his head.

'_What have you done that you feel would warrant my 'killing' you?'_

'_Professor Flitwick kept me after class … I wouldn't do the charms he asked me to.'_

'_Did you explain –'_

'_It's not that I can't do it, I just can't with my wand. I didn't want to do wandless on the first day of class in front of everybody! You told me not to – there were Slytherins in here!'_ He heard the note of panic in his own voice.

Harry heard a whoosh from the fireplace in the corner of the classroom. Professor Flitwick looked up, startled at the appearance of Snape. Harry closed his eyes and sighed. He was right; Snape had come to rant about not following instructions given by a teacher. He heard footfalls coming closer and was surprised to feel a large hand close on his shoulder. The hand was warm and the squeeze it gave was one of comfort and not one of irritation. He looked up into the black glittering eyes. They held his for a moment before turning to Flitwick.

"Professor, I believe that you may have the wrong idea about Harry's abilities in this class."

"I did give the boy a chance to give a proper demonstration, and he refused to even try, Severus." He was irritated that Harry would call Snape to come to his rescue.

"Harry is finding it difficult to grasp his magic in a standard form at the moment. I had asked him not to do anything that would draw undue attention, so if anyone is to blame for his reluctance, it is me."

"Be that as it may, I really believe that he could have given it a go, at least."

Snape waved a hand at the classroom door, locking it. Turning to Harry, he asked, "Can you do the charm that Professor Flitwick requested?"

Harry gave him a nod and stood up. He looked at Flitwick and saw that the teacher had a look of interest on his face, in spite of his irritation.

Harry looked at the desk that Flitwick had asked him to charm earlier. Closing his eyes, he visualized what he wanted. When he opened them again, the desk was moving smoothly through the air. Making a graceful turn, it moved back into its exact original location.

Professor Flitwick had a look of utter astonishment. "Wandless!" he breathed. "He did a wandless and wordless spell!"

Snape looked at Harry. "Try it now with your wand."

Harry drew his wand and concentrated on the motions and the words. The desk did as asked, although this time it was not nearly as graceful and smooth. In fact, it was pretty jerky and wobbly.

Snape looked at Professor Flitwick. "While it seems that Harry can do the spells the acceptable way, he is more comfortable with the wandless. You would agree that he does not need anything further to set him apart from his classmates." It was a statement that demanded agreement and not a question.

Flitwick nodded, still regarding Harry with amazement.

Harry said quietly, "I really did want to do the spell, sir, I was just afraid that if I started, it would just happen before I even got the words out … I can't always remember the right words to say."

Flitwick observed him for a moment and then said, "Knowing the proper words and motions are very important for most wizards. No doubt your experiences this summer and your inability to speak prompted the development of this magical ability in you. I do recall how difficult it was when it was revealed that you are a Parselmouth. Professor Snape is correct in that it would draw attention to you if others learn of this new ability." He looked thoughtful. "I would very much like to oversee your practice with wandless magic."

Snape considered the other teacher for a long moment. After a glance at Harry, he said, "That would be most generous of you. I'll leave the arrangements to the two of you, then."

Harry wanted to protest this; why couldn't Snape help him? But before he could voice this, Snape was gone in a flare of green flame. Professor Flitwick smiled at him. "Lets say that we will begin tonight? Be here at eight."

Harry sighed. Knowing that any resistance was pointless, he nodded. Gathering his book bag, he made his way to Potions class.

When he arrived, Snape was already lecturing the class on the directions for their first brewing assignment. He stopped when Harry entered.

"You are late, Mr. Potter."

"Professor Flitwick kept me after, sir."

"Being late is not a good way to start the term. Five points from Gryffindor."

Harry looked at him open-mouthed. How could he do that? He knew where Harry had been. He had been there himself. He felt a blush of anger start to creep up the back of his neck.

'_Appearances, Harry,'_ came the calm voice in his head.

His anger abated somewhat, but he still grumbled silently as he took his seat, _'Some of us have to walk the long way from place to place, instead of using the Floo.'_

'_Some of us are teachers with those privileges reserved for emergencies.'_

Harry stared up at the towering teacher in black_. 'You considered it an emergency?'_

'_We will discuss it later.'_

With that, the link closed so Snape could concentrate on the class. Harry found the work to be easier than he had expected. He thought it was because he had read way ahead over the summer. There were concepts that he had remembered being difficult, but were now quite easy. He even beat Hermione and Draco in raising his hand to answer a few questions. Harry didn't miss the small quirk of Snape's lips at Hermione's huff of irritation when Harry was able to do that.

Snape had mixed the sixth-years for brewing; pairing partners from opposite Houses. Harry wasn't surprised that Snape had paired him with Draco. Draco retrieved the potion ingredients while Harry set up the cauldron, adjusting the flame and setting out the tools they would need.

They worked silently, seeming to fall into an easy partnership. Harry looked up when they had finished to see Draco looking at him appraisingly.

"What?" he asked the blond Slytherin.

"I wouldn't have thought you were as adept at potions, Potter. You surprised me. I thought Granger was the one who was the brains of the Trio."

"Yeah? Well, she is the smart one." Harry shrugged. "I did some reading over the summer. This," he indicated the cauldron and all the surrounding implements and ingredients, "makes more sense now."

Snape was making his way around the class, observing results. When he got to theirs, he looked into the cauldron and then looked at each of them in turn. He raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. Turning to the rest of the class, he spoke,

"Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter have achieved the exact desired results. This could only be done by partners working cooperatively together. This potion is very sensitive to every nuance, and the slightest hesitation between efforts would have resulted in an inadequate brew." He stopped while all at the other tables, partners looked at each other and then at their own cauldrons. Snape continued, "In brewing potions, and in life, you will find yourselves in positions where you need to be able to work with others who you do not necessarily get along with. For the greater good, you need to be able put differences aside."

He moved to the front of the class. "Bottle a sample and label it. One partner should do this while the other one cleans your area. Then you are dismissed." He watched as the class complied and Harry had a feeling that it was a further test of being able to work together to accomplish a goal.

Again, Draco and Harry wordlessly performed their tasks. There were numerous hissed conversations around the room as partners argued about who would bottle, and who would do clean-up duty.

Harry hung back as the class left and was aggravated to see that Draco remained behind too. Snape looked at them for a long moment. "Is there something you wish to discuss?"

Draco spoke up quickly, "I wanted a moment to talk to you, Sev- Professor Snape. Alone." He threw a pointed glance at Harry.

Snape nodded. Looking coolly at Harry, he said, "Another time, Potter?"

Harry flushed at being so easily dismissed, but he gave Snape a jerky nod and walked out of the room.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Harry hurried to be on time to Charms practice. He arrived at the classroom door just as Professor Flitwick did. The tiny man was very thorough with their session and Harry was gratified to be able to adequately perform many charms with his wand by the time they were done. Professor Flitwick ended the session by having Harry do some wandless and silent incantations.

"It's a talent that should be cultivated, as I do not doubt that it will save your life or the life of another one day. But, you should always be on guard with it. It is a type of magic that does not depend on proper mechanics, so it would be quite easy for it to be used rashly, say in a fit of anger. As you learn to control it, it will become less likely for you to accidentally cause damage with a spontaneous spell."

Harry had thought about telling Flitwick about Severus's broken ribs, but decided that he didn't want that episode to become common knowledge. As it was, Harry understood very well what the professor was saying. Having the ability to just think about a spell and it happening was a big responsibility.

"Yes, sir. That's why I really didn't want to try the charm yesterday in class. I was afraid that it would come out wrong, or I would drop the desk on somebody while I tried to keep it under a wanded spell."

"We will have regular practices, then. The sooner you have control of both, the better you'll feel about them. I spoke to Severus, and he agrees."

Harry looked at him silently. Why couldn't Severus have these practices with him? As if divining his thoughts, Flitwick put a small hand on Harry's arm.

"Severus is most concerned that you have a variety of individual instructors. You will benefit by the talents that are our strengths, and the differences in our techniques."

Harry gave a reluctant nod. Flitwick rubbed his hands together briskly, to get them back on track. "Now then; I will want you to practice both your wanded spells, as well as those you can do without your wand. Do you think you can manage that?"

Harry smiled. 'Now that we've done a bit here, I know more what to do when I'm alone. I'll do it, professor."

"Then I'll see you in a few nights. We'll see what the other teachers are doing before we set up a regular schedule."

Harry left feeling like he was going to wish he had a Timeturner to get everything done. Not only his regular homework and readings, but now more practicing. It sounded like Severus had recruited more than just Flitwick, if the tiny professor's words were any indication.

When he returned to the common room, Ron was waiting for him.

"Hey, mate. How did it go?"

"Flitwick really put me through some tough exercises." Harry slumped down onto the sofa and put a leg up on the cushions beside him. "We'll be having more sessions. He made it sound like other teachers would be having sessions with me too."

Ron shook his head. "You never get a break, do you? To think, I used to wish I got as much attention as you do."

"I wouldn't wish the kind of attention I get on my worst enemy," Harry said dryly.

"I know. I didn't understand back then. Now I know … more about what you actually endure. It's amazing that you haven't totally cracked up by now."

Harry looked at Ron and crossed his eyes. Putting an exaggerated tremor into his hands and twitching his head, he asked, "Are you so sure that I'm _not_ cracked up?"

Ron laughed and Harry laughed in return. It felt good to do that. It felt _normal_.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The days flowed into weeks. Harry had correctly understood that he would be working with more teachers than just Flitwick. Snape had made out the agenda himself. Harry's free moments were no longer free, but filled with time spent in out-of-the-way classrooms. Flitwick drilled him in charms and spells, both wanded and wandless, until Harry could do anything either way when Flitwick barked out rapid commands. Harry would never see the little man as a meek-mannered teacher again.

Professor McGonagall took her turns to drill Harry in Transfiguration. It proved to be more difficult, but not impossible for Harry to do those both ways, as well. She pushed him hard, but Harry could see that she was proud of his progress.

"Now, if you would apply yourself to History, you might do as well there, Mr. Potter."

"I'm sorry, Professor, but History is just plain boring. I can't do everything and that's the thing I choose to let slide."

She looked at him with disapproval, but didn't comment further. Harry would have thought it dropped until Snape held him back after Potions. Harry hadn't had a moment to spare and it had been days since they had said a word to each other. He missed Snape, but he didn't want to seem like a baby, whining about it, and he didn't know how to ask for time to just talk. He entertained a faint hope that they would just talk when the last student left the Potions classroom and Snape closed the door.

Snape dashed that hope when he narrowed his eyes and said sharply, "Professor McGonagall tells me you have decided to let History of Magic slide."

Harry looked at Snape, still hoping to see trace of 'I've missed you too' in his face. When Snape just looked at him expectantly, Harry sighed.

"I can't do it all."

"Perhaps you need to prioritize better."

Harry suddenly felt anger well up in him. "I guess I could give up sleeping. Would that make you happy?"

"Do not raise your voice to me. We will decide how to best utilize your time so that nothing is left to _slide_."

Harry stood up, hands clenched into fists. "You mean _you'll_ decide. We're not discussing anything. In fact, you haven't said one word to me in days."

"You haven't tried to speak to me. I assumed that you were fine and did not require my help." Snape stood up, too, and began to pace the floor, with a swirl of black robes every time he changed direction.

Harry fumed, "You haven't _asked_ if I was fine. When Malfoy stayed after class that first day, you had said we would talk later. You never did call to me."

"You're being petulant and childish."

Harry felt his control slipping rapidly. He gathered his book bag and slung it over his shoulder. "You're right; as usual. I'm being childish and I don't know how to prioritize. I'm sure you don't need my help to put together a schedule. You can owl it so you don't have to actually speak to me." He walked to the door and opened it. Before walking through he called over his shoulder, "Don't worry if you can't fit in all the meal times. I'm used to going without."

Snape stared after him, fighting the urge to yell at him to stop or lose points for Gryffindor.

He had been so busy with the new Muggle-born Orientation course that he oversaw in the evenings, and his own Potions classes, that he barely had a moment as it was. Now Potter was acting all disgruntled and whiny about not having any of his time. Did the boy not understand that there were only so many hours in a day for him to accomplish what he needed to do? Well, he would make the damn schedule and the brat would stick to it. There was no excuse for letting school work slide, as he put it. And did he really believe that there would be no time for sleeping or eating? Really? The brat could certainly be dramatic.

He threw Floo Powder into the grate and called McGonagall. Her head popped up amid the flames a moment later.

"Minerva, I need a copy of Harry's schedule. I'll be drawing up a new one to include time for all he needs to do."

"I take it that he was agreeable to working harder to set time aside for all his subjects?"

"If I make the schedule, he will have no excuse not to."

McGonagall looked at him for a minute and then said, "I'll Floo it through in a moment." Her head disappeared and after another few moments the fireplace spat out a roll of parchment.

Unrolling it, Snape laid it out on his desk. Taking a quill, he began to add the extra practice sessions for Charms and Transfiguration. Harry also needed DADA practice and he needed to resume Occlumency lessons as soon as possible. Looking over the schedule, Snape thought of the upcoming Quidditch season. Those practices would have to be figured in as well. Now for homework … he scribbled time for working on all his classes onto the schedule. Giving a satisfied grunt, he stared at the finished product. There; everything was taken care of.

He threw more Floo Powder into the fire and poked his head through to McGonagall's office. She was sitting at her own desk. "Would you mind passing this on to Harry?"

He handed the roll to her and disappeared back into his own office. Curious, she unrolled it and studied the schedule. She walked to her own fireplace and after throwing in Floo Powder, she stepped through to Snape's office.

"Severus, could we discuss this before I give it to Harry?"

Snape looked up from an essay he was grading. "Did I neglect to assign you adequate time?"

She looked worried. "No, Not at all. But I believe you may have forgotten to allow time for other things."

Snape heaved a sigh of aggravation and held out his hand. She placed the parchment in it and took a seat in the chair in front of his desk. He examined the parchment for a few moments before looking up at her. "I fail to see what I have forgotten."

"Has Harry given up eating again? I don't see you allowing time for meals. And you have every single moment of his weekends tied up as well. Is he to have no time for himself?"

Snape snapped the schedule open again and perused it as he started, "You were the one complaining about him not taking his classes seriously. I merely made certain he had everything accounted for, so of course he has to eat –" He was looking at the parchment more closely and his mouth had closed into a grim line. Tossing the paper onto the desk, he sat back and rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly.

McGonagall waited patiently for Snape to admit he had made a mistake. Finally, when he remained silent, she spoke softly, "Severus, you are trying too hard to be distant from him. I know you can't show what he means to you now that school has started, but I see his face when he looks at you in the Great Hall. He is still recovering from his summer …"

"Yes, yes. I know that. Don't you think I know that?" he said irritably. He stood up and clasped his hands behind his back. "I can only stretch myself so thin. But I see now that I tried to stretch him even thinner. Thank you for looking at it before giving it to him. He is already upset and it would have been disastrous. When I mentioned making a schedule to get it all set, he even told me to take away meals as he was used to going without." He looked into the fire with a deep frown. "I thought he was being an insolent brat and I told him to stop whining."

McGonagall stood up and laid a hand on his arm. "If you like, I will bring him to my office later, so you can talk to him. That way, he won't be seen going to your quarters."

Snape nodded silently. She left by the door and he stood in thought for awhile before throwing yet another handful of Floo Powder into the flames and stepping in.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Harry stormed into the common room and stomped up the stairs to the dorm. Ron and Hermione had been sitting on the sofa together, waiting for him so they could walk down to dinner together. They looked at each other, raising worried eyebrows. Jumping up, they headed up to the dorm after him.

When they got to the room, Harry's bedcurtains were closed. Ron cleared his throat. "Harry? How did it go?"

There was no answer. Hermione gave him an encouraging nod, so Ron slowly put his head through the curtains. Harry was curled up on his side facing away from them. Ron climbed onto the bed and Hermione followed, closing the hangings after them. They took up positions on either side of him and leaned back against the headboard. Hermione gently rubbed his shoulders as they sat in silent support of their friend.

Ron finally sighed. "He was a git, wasn't he? Want me to go and hex him for you? I've got pretty good with Ginny's Bat Bogie."

They felt Harry shake his head. After a long while, he sat up between them. Banging his head back sharply, he muttered, "I hate my life. Just kill me now and save everyone the trouble of having to deal with me."

"You don't mean that," Hermione soothed.

"You know what? I do mean it. I wish I'd never been born. I wish I'd never heard of Hogwarts, or magic. I wish I was just some normal kid with a normal life with normal problems." He ground the heels of his hands against his eyes. Then softly, "I wish I was dead."

Ron and Hermione looked at each other over his head, alarmed. She put an arm around his shoulders. "Don't talk like that, Harry. It's not healthy. You don't really wish that."

"I really do, 'Mione." He scooted back down in the bed and yanked the blanket over his head. "Right now, I really want to be by myself, too."

"It's dinner time, mate," Ron said. "You'll feel better once you've eaten."

"No thanks. I'm not hungry."

"Harry, don't do this again. You know Professor Snape won't let you starve yourself again," Hermione scolded.

Harry lowered the blankets from his face. "You're wrong there. He'll be glad that there'll be more time he can fill with studies and practices. He won't mind at all."

He disappeared under the blanket again and refused to speak to them anymore. Ron and Hermione left him after no amount of begging made him respond to them.

In the Great Hall, they sat down and silently ate their own dinner, shrugging off questions about where Harry was. They avoided looking at the head table so they wouldn't have to face teacher questioning. But right as they were finishing, Seamus nudged Ron. When Ron looked at him, Seamus said, "McGonagall is acting like she wants to see you, mate."

Before thinking, Ron glanced up at the head table. Immediately, the teacher gestured sternly for him to come up. With a heavy sigh, he put down his fork and stood up. Hermione saw what was happening and she got up to go with him.

Standing in front of the teachers, Ron shifted his feet nervously. "Yes, Professor?"

"Where is Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley?" McGonagall asked.

Hermione looked at Ron and spoke quickly, "He's not feeling well, so he went to bed early."

"Does he need to see Madame Pomfrey?" Dumbledore asked.

Ron gave Snape a meaningful glare. "No, sir, that's not who he needs to see."

Hermione bit her lip and then burst out, "He seems very depressed, sir. He wouldn't come down and he said he wishes he was …" She glanced at Ron and he gave her a nod to continue. "He wishes he was dead."

McGonagall's fork clattered to her plate and there was a sudden silence from the teachers who had been listening.

Snape got to his feet and swept away without a word.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you to all readers and those caring to leave a review for me! I do love them, even if it's just a few words of encouragement!_ _I also want to put a big Thank You in here for my wonderful beta, logicalquirk. She has really burnt the midnight oil looking at all I send her. She's the one responsible for how fast the story is updated! Thanks, Lauren!_   
Chapter 3 

Harry knew as soon as they had gone that he couldn't stay where he was. Undoubtedly, someone would come, and undoubtedly, they would've been told what he had said. While he trusted Hermione, he realized that she wouldn't hesitate to speak up if she thought he needed protecting, even from himself.

His earlier thoughts were still strong and he really did not want to be alive right now. He needed time to think it through and apparently, his time was not his own.

He got up and hurried to gather a bundle of necessities together; blanket, pillow, Prongs … yes, he needed Prongs. He put his wand into his pocket and then saw the Marauder's Map in his open trunk. That would come in handy. He threw it on top of everything else. Seeing the apples he had put on the bedside table, he grabbed them as well. Drawing it all together, he stuffed it into his book bag along with his books so he could read if he got tired of thinking. He flung his Invisibility Cloak over himself and left.

Aimlessly, he started out into the corridors, his only goal being to go somewhere where he couldn't be found. He walked until he found himself in a part of the castle he didn't recognize and was covered with dust and cobwebs. Moving faster, he made numerous twists and turns, going up and down stairways, before finding a small room with a dirty stained glass window. There was an old settee under it; the kind that was part chair, part sofa, with a rolled back end and corner to curl up in. He waved a hand over it and the dust rose in a huge puff before vanishing in the air. Turning to the door, he closed and locked it.

Before doing anything else, he got out the map and touched a finger to it. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The map showed that he was so far away from anyone else that it had to shift itself to be able to show him the nearest moving dot. Satisfied, he set out the other things he had brought.

Not wanting to think about why he had sought out this place, he got out his books. He just wanted to get his mind occupied with anything but thinking about how he felt. That felt dangerous right now, and he needed to have some distance before examining those feelings more closely.

There was an old candle stand on a low table and he wordlessly summoned them both over. After the candle was lit, he read for awhile. Pulling out parchment, he wrote notes on what he read. Hermione would be proud, even if no one else cared that he took the trouble to do that. He was certain that he read ahead and had a decent understanding of the subject when he finally put it down. Ironically, he realized that it was History of Magic that had held his attention for so long.

Snape Flooed into the empty Gryffindor common room and strode up the stairs. He stopped in surprise when he saw the bed curtains open and Harry gone. Looking around, he noted the open trunk and a scattering of personal belongings. On the bed, the pillow and blanket were gone. Narrowing his eyes in thought, Snape stormed back down the stairs to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"When did Mr. Potter leave Gryffindor and in what direction did he go?"

She looked at him huffily. "I never saw him. I opened a little while ago, but no one was there."

Snape cursed under his breath, ignoring the Fat Lady's cry of offense at his words. So, Harry had the Invisibility Cloak to hide him … where would he go? Snape quickly made his way to the Room of Requirement and demanded entrance, using his status as a senior professor to force it. Harry wasn't there. Snape stood there, not liking the feeling of uncertainty that washed over him. Surely the idiot brat wouldn't leave the castle …

He strode to Dumbledore's office, causing students to scatter, looking like a very angry black demon as his boots rang out on the stone and his robes stood out around him as he moved. His face was in a furious snarl that meant no one was safe from his wrath.

They could not know that the anger was not only for Harry, but for himself. He was feeling that odd sort of care that he had felt back in the summer. Concern and worry for Harry's state of being was surging up within him. He hadn't liked the feeling then, and he liked it less now. Emotions had been easier to deal with in the Muggle world because of the role he played there, and because no one there knew who he really was. No one there saw the severe teacher who never smiled, who showed no mercy for even the slightest infractions. He had been the undisputed final word in his classroom, but they had also seen him as … human.

Here at Hogwarts, he could not afford to feel his humanity. He had to hold onto the cold reality of the dark side of his role. He could not let an inkling of compassion be allowed to color the image he portrayed. If somehow word got to other Death Eaters through their children that he was worried about Harry Potter, the Dark Lord might begin to examine Lucius Malfoy's jealousies more closely.

He stood outside the stone gargoyles, willing himself to calm before he faced Dumbledore. No doubt the man would see through his efforts, but he would attempt to preserve his dignity in front of anyone else that might be present.

Snarling the password, he was striding up the spiraling steps before the gargoyles had moved completely out of the way. In the main office, Dumbledore stood with McGonagall and the other two members of the Trio. They all looked up expectantly but heir faces fell when they saw that Harry was not at Snape's side.

Without preamble, he barked out his findings. "He is gone. I checked the Room of Requirement already. It appears that he has taken a few belongings and that infernal Invisibility Cloak."

He turned to Ron and Hermione. "Where would he go, if he was looking for a place where he could not be found by just anyone?"

Ron retorted, "You think we'd tell you? So you can upset him even more?"

Hermione grabbed his arm. "Ron, you're not helping. You know how Harry was acting. We need to find him before he …" She looked around the room. "Before he does something to himself."

Dumbledore looked at her sharply. "You feel Harry would harm himself, Miss Granger?"

"Normally, I would say no. Harry is a very strong person. Normally, I would think that he just needs to be alone to think things through. He needs that sometimes. But he was so sad … I didn't like how he talked about himself. He never had that utterly defeated tone before."

"Precisely, what did he say?" Snape asked, his eyes glittering, face grim.

"He said he wished he was a normal kid with normal problems. He wished he had never heard of Hogwarts or magic. Then he said he wished he was dead."

McGonagall drew in a hissing breath at that. "You really believe he meant that?"

Ron shrugged when Hermione didn't answer. "We don't know for sure. We just know that he isn't himself. Even before when Snape here –"

"Professor Snape," Dumbledore corrected.

"Yeah, Professor Snape; when Professor Snape would get on his case about something before, he might be upset for a bit but he shook it off. This time, he didn't seem like he could do that. He seemed hopeless."

Hermione stepped forward. "We tried to get him to come and eat, and he said he wasn't hungry. Lately, that means he's depressed. I told him Professor Snape wouldn't let him do that to himself again and he said –" She stopped and looked at Snape doubtfully.

Snape gave her a nod to continue and she spoke softly so they had to lean in to hear her, "He said you wouldn't care if it meant he had more time to do his practicing."

Snape tightened his jaw, grinding his teeth. He turned to Dumbledore. "Clearly, he needs to be found. I will search the Slytherin areas of the castle, if you will ask the other heads to search theirs." He turned and was gone in a quick movement out the door.

Ron looked at Dumbledore and his Head of House. "If he has his map, it will be hard to find him. He'll see anyone coming before they can get close."

Dumbledore's eye's were flashing. "Please check to see if he took it with him, and if you see anything else that might give us a clue as to his intentions."

Ron and Hermione left and Dumbledore turned to the former Headmaster's portraits lining the walls. "You all know what is at stake here. Inform the other portraits that we need for them to let you know immediately if they see Harry Potter. Search the castle."

He sat down at the massive desk and closed his eyes, feeling the current of the castle's magic running through him and around him. He searched it, much like he did when he would look into someone's eyes, for the secrets that might be hidden there.

McGonagall stood silently for a moment and then said, "I'll ask Sir Nicholas to have the ghosts search as well." Dumbledore didn't answer, so she left him alone.

Ron and Hermione went back to the dormitory and examined Harry's area. After checking the rest of the house, they made a stop by the library before heading back to Dumbledore.

Standing in front of the Headmaster's desk, Hermione said, "He's definitely not in Gryffindor Tower –"

Snape walked in and she began again, "He's not in the Tower, or the library."

"Why would you think he would be in the library?" Snape asked.

"He took his books. We thought we should check to see if he was in there studying. Anyway, he wasn't. He took his pillow, a blanket, and his books."

Snape considered her for a moment. "Did you note anything else?"

Ron said, "The map is gone, too. And Prongs." He returned Snape's glare.

Snape ignored the insolence for the moment. "Did he take his wand?"

Hermione looked confused, but Ron understood the question. "Yes. It's gone."

Snape nodded and looked at Dumbledore. The Headmaster sighed and said, "The castle is telling me that he is safe for the moment."

They all looked at him in surprise. He nodded and stood up. "I have the portraits searching, and Professor McGonagall is having the ghosts search, but I do not believe they will find him. He does not wish to be found, and the castle will stand guard over him unless he tries to do harm to himself."

At their questioning expressions he continued, "The castle is a vast piece of work. Only a small portion of it is actually in use. The active portraits are all in the parts that are inhabited. The ghosts may have more luck; the House ghosts will have all the others search the uninhabited areas. But the castle herself is quite unwilling to give me a hint of where Harry is, only that he is within her walls and he is safe."

He turned to Snape. "Have you tried to call to him?"

Snape frowned deeply. "Yes. I sense that he hears me, but he chooses not to answer."

Hermione said slowly, "So, he's run away from home, as it were."

They all looked at her, Snape sneering, "What are you talking about?"

Rolling her eyes, Hermione said, "Muggle kids run away from home when conditions suit. If they are in trouble, make poor grades at school, or simply hate their parents at the moment, they might run away, just to put some distance between themselves and what's happening."

"What would this accomplish?" Dumbledore asked curiously. "Avoidance won't solve anything."

"No, but it gives one some breathing room. It gives him time to think about what he wants to do, and not what others want him to do." She gave Snape a meaningful look. "I think he must be feeling an awful lot of pressure."

Snape glared. That she blamed him for this pressure was clear and, while he agreed, he felt royally pissed that she did. If she felt this way, no doubt the others did too. He turned back to Dumbledore. "So you know he is in the castle, but in an uninhabited part?"

"I believe so. The question now is how long he plans to stay away, and if he plans to take action based on what he told Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley earlier."

Snape felt his insides clench. Could Harry really wish for and carry out a wish for his own death? That it was even a possibility made him angry, both at Harry and himself.

He whirled away, speaking as he strode from the office, "I will be searching the castle."

After he was gone, Hermione stared at Dumbledore. "He can't mean to search all of it, right now."

"He certainly appears to be intending to try. However, I must ask that you two do not try to search the uninhabited areas. Harry may have that marvelous map of his to keep himself from getting lost, but you have no such aid."

Ron approached the desk. "But sir, we can't just do nothing. Harry's our best friend and he's alone."

"That seems to be precisely what he wants," Dumbledore answered. "For the moment, we must all be patient, and hope that he will quickly come to whatever decision he feels he must make."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Harry woke up, disoriented, until he remembered that he wasn't in Gyffindor, but in some room somewhere else in the castle. He huddled under his blanket for a few minutes, holding Prongs close to himself. A look at the window showed that it was dark outside. Cautiously, he felt for a connection to Snape. The split second he felt the rage from him, he closed it again.

Sitting up, he picked up the map from where it rested on the end of the settee. He let the map shift over to the parts of the castle where there were many labeled dots. He saw Ron and Hermione together in the Gryffindor Common Room. All the other dots were congregated in the dorm rooms, so it must be after curfew.

Looking over the rest of the map, he saw all the other students were in bed too. He found Dumbledore and McGonagall in the Headmaster's office. Filch and Mrs. Norris were prowling near the Astronomy Tower. He searched the dungeons for Snape, but didn't see him. Frowning, he kept looking until he finally found the dot labeled with the curving script name 'Severus Snape'. Along side of it was a dot labeled 'Draco Malfoy'

Harry saw that the two of them were not in any of the normal areas of the castle, and he realized that they must be looking for him. Why would Snape have Malfoy with him? He was tempted to ask, but then he thought that he didn't really want to talk to Snape right now. If Snape was with Malfoy, he must prefer it. He was probably wishing he didn't have to look for him. Dumbledore probably made him look. Malfoy was company to keep the job from being tedious. They were nowhere near to where Harry was, so he wasn't worried about that. He watched the two dots as they moved through the corridors and stopped to open doors along the way. At one point, the dots stopped and it seemed that Snape's stepped towards Malfoy's for a moment, as if he had given him a brief hug.

Harry's throat closed up and he didn't realize he was crying until a tear splashed down onto the map. Furiously, he wiped another from his face with a sleeve and threw the map into the floor.

He waved a hand over the candle and it brightened. Summoning another of his books, he sat back with the blanket over his lap. With determination, he started reading from the Transfiguration text, wanting to erase the thought that Snape wasn't looking for him because he wanted to, but out of duty.

When he finished the reading, he took up his wand and practiced until he was able to transfigure a book into a pillow. Then he did it wandless and wordless. Then he changed the pillow into a loaf of bread. He stared at it for a few minutes. If he ate it, he wouldn't have his book anymore. But he was feeling a little hungry. He really should eat something. He remembered the apples then and dug one out of his book bag.

As he ate, he thought that he might explore this part of the castle. Getting the map, he spread it out and found himself off in a section removed from anything else. Putting a finger on the place where his dot rested, he muttered, "I wish to mark this place as mine." He didn't know what he thought would happen, so he was surprised when a small flag blossomed and his name appeared; Harry Potter's Place. He looked at his fingertip and gave a hmph. Using his wand, he said a _Lumos_. Holding the map with one hand, he held the wand as a light in the other.

Unlocking the door, he turned to his left and started down the corridor. Some of the first rooms he found were empty and he thought that this part of the castle might not hold anything of interest. Then he went into a room that was crammed full of furniture, books, and other brick-a-brack. After a brief look around, he went on to other rooms to see what else he might find. There was a large trunk that held old blankets and robes, all of them Ravenclaw blue. A rolled up tapestry that depicted a regal stag at the side of a lake was a find he instantly wanted. Thinking hard, he remembered the cleaning charms that Hermione knew so well. He cleaned the trunk and the tapestry and then levitated them back to his room, using the charm that Professor Flitwick had wanted him to do that first day.

The robes he set aside for later when he grew chilly. Without a fireplace, he knew it would be getting cold. He placed a sticking charm on the tapestry and hung it on the wall. Standing back, he gazed at the stag. It seemed to look back at him with wise brown eyes.

"Hi, Prongs. Welcome to your new home."

He returned to the room that was full and dug around until he found a box of candles. Blowing the dust off some of the books, he took a tall stack of them back to his room. Whatever he didn't want to read, he would transfigure into bread. There was a big enough supply to last for days, if he decided not to go back, and if no one found him.

After checking the map again, he went in search of a bathroom. He would need water and facilities if he was going to live here … live here? Is that what he wanted to do? He shook his head and resolved to think about it later. Far down the corridor and down a flight of stairs, he found a bathroom. The faucets were dripping and the sound echoed in the cavernous space. Looking around, he searched for something to carry water in. Finally, a storage closet revealed a supply of pitchers and basins. He filled a pitcher and carried it back to his room, along with the basin.

One more trip to the full storage room yielded another table. He pulled it out and took it back, setting it up under the tapestry. He closed the door and locked it, before arranging all that he had acquired. He kept the small table beside the settee with the candle stick. The extra candles he set underneath. On the large table, he set the water-filled pitcher and basin. The books were arranged by the ones he knew he didn't want and the ones that looked like he would find them entertaining if not useful.

After washing his face he dried it on a robe that had definitely been only a rag. Settling back on the settee, he did some more reading, this time for Herbology. He had no idea what Professor Sprout might assign as an essay, but he felt better about missing the class if he made an attempt. Two feet of parchment later, he set the finished essay aside. He lay down and pulled the blanket over himself.

Looking over at his Prongs tapestry, he said, "I could stay here for a long time. I could do my work and practice all by myself. I'll probably get more done than if I was back in Gryffindor. At least here no one will be telling me how I should be feeling, or what I should be doing."

He watched the candlelight flicker on the stag and made the eyes appear to be watching him. "I know they're looking for me. Hermione is probably sick with worry. She probably thinks I'll try to kill myself after what I said. She's not too wrong about that," he admitted to himself. "If I hadn't found this room, I might have. But I feel pretty safe here. I can think and breathe here." He proved that by taking in a big shaky breath.

"So, Prongs … what do you think about me staying here? I can do my work, at least what I think the teachers might assign. Maybe I won't get far behind. I don't know when I might be ready to go back, but this is okay, isn't it?"

He stared at the flicker of candlelight as he drifted off to sleep. "I miss Severus …"


	4. Chapter 4

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

**Chapter 4**

Snape went to the uninhabited areas beyond the dungeons and began a methodical search. It was ridiculous that Harry would be anywhere near here, but one had to be sure. Who knew how his mind was working these days? As he walked, he moved briskly, attempting to dispel his thoughts of worry for the brat. As he expected, Harry was not there. He headed for the stairs to go up a level when he felt a hand catch his sleeve. Whirling, he saw Draco standing there, looking curious.

"Severus, what are you doing?"

He thought rapidly. "I am … patrolling." He looked closely at the blond teenager. "It is past curfew. What are you doing?"

Draco looked up at him. "I was looking for you, actually."

"You found me. What is it that you need?" He resumed his walking and Draco fell in beside him. If he found Harry while Draco was with him, he would have to think of something. But he would not stop looking just because the Slytherin chose this time to have needs.

"My father sent me another disturbing letter. I wanted to discuss it with you."

"I told you, Draco, I cannot get in between you and your father." Draco had begun the habit of informing Snape of communications from Lucius. Snape wanted to believe that Draco was seriously in doubt of all that Lucius stood for. He wanted to believe that there was a chance to keep the boy from following in the elder Malfoy's footsteps.

"I know that … I really just want to bounce my thoughts off you … see if you think I'm thinking things through clearly."

He kept up his pace silently. If the boy wanted to defect from his family's loyalties, he could not be seen as having been instrumental in it. Draco kept up with the long strides easily, and after a few minutes he spoke.

"My father is saying that I should be ready to see the Dark Lord's wrath at work soon. He keeps hinting at plans that will bring Muggleborns to their knees."

Casually, Snape asked, "Anything in particular that he says that disturbs you?"

Draco blew out a loud breath. "It _all_ disturbs me! It disturbs me that it disturbs me!" He stopped in the hallway and leaned against the wall. "I can't talk to the others in Slytherin because they're thrilled that something is about to happen. They're practically panting with anticipation."

Snape stopped then and said softly, "You must make your own decisions, Draco. Don't be drawn in to going along with the crowd. They will do what they believe is right; they will blindly follow their family into whatever folly or deed they dictate."

"But what is the right thing? Is my family right? Is the Dark Lord the one who will rule over us all; bring us all glory and the honor due to Purebloods?" He looked at Snape beseechingly.

"Have you expressed your doubts to your father?"

"Once over the summer." He looked away, absently rubbing his arms. "He told me the scars would remind me not to question him again."

Snape gritted his teeth while maintaining a carefully neutral face. "What does your heart tell you?"

"According to father, a Malfoy has no use for a heart. A heart keeps you from being ruthless enough to achieve your goals."

The silence drew out and Snape walked more slowly as he resumed his search. Draco followed quietly until he spoke again, "My heart says that if I join him, if I give myself to the Dark Lord, I'll be a slave to him. There won't be glory and honor. My heart tells me it's a lie."

Snape stopped again and turned to Draco. The boy was looking at him as if he expected him to erupt in a fury at the blasphemy he had uttered. He expected Snape to treat him as his father had done and accuse him of being a blood traitor. Maybe he expected Snape to kill him outright for his betrayal. He shrunk under the black eyes staring at him and lowered his own eyes to the ground, waiting for Snape's judgement.

Snape stepped forward and pulled Draco to him in an embrace. Pressing his cheek against the blond head, he whispered, "Follow your heart, Draco."

Snape was gone before Draco could look up. He stood there, stunned. Had Snape just given him a hug? A real, caring hug? Slowly, he turned and walked back the way they had come from, back towards his dormitory.

Had Snape just encouraged him to go against his father's wishes? Was Snape telling him to forfeit his inheritance and go over to the side of Light? He didn't say it in so many words, and Draco understood that Snape would not be foolish enough to be caught in a trap like that. Snape would not ever admit that he had just told Draco that his beliefs were valid and he should trust the instincts that led to them. He would maintain the distance necessary as a teacher at Hogwarts, and he would be careful not to be seen actively supporting either side. Draco suspected that Snape was a Death Eater, based on comments his father had made over the years. But he had also been getting a sense of jealous rivalry from his father over the last year. Something in their relationship had changed, and Snape had been making more and more comments to the students of Slytherin about standing up for their own beliefs; exploring all aspects of a belief before taking it up as truth.

If Draco renounced his father, would Snape protect him? While Draco was pretty sure he knew what was right, now, he didn't want his father to kill him because of it. He wasn't brave enough to make a declaration.

He stored away the feeling of warmth that the hug Snape had given him evoked. His parents hadn't hugged him since he was a small child, and even then it had been for show when company was there. Snape's hug had been brief, but in that flash of time, Draco had felt more care than in his entire life.

Harry woke up to the sound of tapping. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. Colored light fell across the settee from the stained glass window. The tapping was coming from beyond it.

Harry got up and pushed the window open, knocking Hedwig off of the ledge. She fluttered back and then came forward to land on Harry's shoulder. He saw that she had a note tied to her leg. Harry transferred her to the back of the settee and said, "Hello, girl. I should have known you would find me. Who sent you?" He untied the note and read:

Dear Harry,

Professor Dumbledore says that you are somewhere in the castle, but the castle is keeping your location secret for now. We don't know if Hedwig will find you, but if she does, we want to tell you how worried we are, and how much we love you.

We know that you're hurting right now, and that you feel down about everything Snape and the other teachers are asking of you. I'll help you with anything, Harry. Please know that both Ron and I will do whatever we can to get you through this. Snape will realize that you were overloaded, if he hasn't already.

Speaking of Professor Snape; he's very worried about you too. Ron says he's being his old self, but I think he's trying to find a way to balance it all. In a lot of ways, he's under as much pressure as you are.

We hope you will write back to us, but if not, at least give us some sign that you are okay.

Your best friends,

Hermione and Ron

Harry thought for a minute and then picked up his quill. Turning the note over, he wrote:

Dear Hermione and Ron,

I'm fine right now. I needed to be away from everything and figure it all out. Before you ask, no, I haven't figured out anything yet.

Please don't try to find me, okay? I know you'll probably tell them I answered you, and I don't care if you do. Just tell them I'll come back when I can.

If you write again, tell me the assignments. I'm trying to keep up, but it will just be guessing unless I know what the professors actually want.

I guess that's all I have to say.

Harry

He tied the note back on Hedwig's leg and she flew out of the window after nibbling his ear affectionately.

Harry looked out of the window and saw that it looked out over the lake. Stretching his head out, he couldn't see any other ledges or walkways that might give anyone a glimpse of him, so he left the window open for the breeze and fresh air.

The natural light was easy to read by, and Harry looked over the books he had brought from the junk room, as he now thought of it. Most of the books were old textbooks, but Harry was surprised to see others that covered a variety of topics not covered by current Hogwarts classes. Jumping up, he went back to the junk room and looked at some of the other books. Selecting a good amount, he took them back.

Hedwig was back already; it must be breakfast time if the owl could get back so quickly. Harry untied the note and saw that Hermione had written down the assignments from the day before. Gathering his books for the work, he took them over to the large table, then realized that he needed a chair to sit in at the table. He went back to the junk room and after a lot of digging and rearranging, he unearthed a straight-backed chair. Dragging it back to his room, he cleaned it before sitting down. Thankfully, it had a padded tapestry seat. The arms and back were heavily carved with what looked to be some kind of bird of prey holding a snake in its talons. Harry thought that the bird must be a raven, since it appeared that the items stored in the junk room were in Ravenclaw colors.

He worked on the assignments that Hermione had listed and was surprised when he finished them. He wasn't sure what time it was, but he had to have finished before noon.

He stood and stretched, deciding that he needed a walk. He got the map, and after a quick check to make sure that there was still no one near his area, he set out to see what else this part of the castle had hidden.

He found more rooms that had nothing but dust and cobwebs. Then at the end of a twisting stairway, he found a room that looked as if it had been a study. There was a massive desk behind which sat a spindle-legged chair. In spite of its size, Harry wondered if it had been the study of Rowena Ravenclaw herself. Hesitantly, he touched the items that still sat upon the desk. An ornate paperweight in the figure of a raven caught his attention. He wondered if Dumbledore would mind that Harry was taking things from one place to another. He thought that he would probably want Harry to be comfortable.

A rug was rolled part way across the floor and Harry decided that it would be perfect for the floor in his room. His feet were continually cold and he was tired of wearing shoes all the time.

He took a tall candle stand that he could put beside the large table to light his study area. After another moment of hesitation, he took the raven paperweight, too.

After he had got everything situated in his room he decided to practice spell casting. The room next to his was empty and he thought it made a great place to hold his wand and wandless practices. He improvised a few targets out of books he had decided were either too moldy for bread or not good subject matter for reading.

Harry wore himself out with drills he set for himself. He worked on charms and transfiguration spells until he could do them perfectly by any method his teachers might test him on. Sweat ran down his face and he sat cross-legged on the floor. Would Severus be proud of his progress? He dropped his head into his hands, wishing that he could somehow know what was going on with Severus without opening the link. Was he still angry; or was he relieved not to have to be thinking about Harry's schedule now? Would they ever be friends again? He missed the times they had talked together. He missed being near him more than anything else. He felt like he needed to be recharged or something, and Severus was the only one who could do that. What if they never got that back?

Harry knew that tears were running down his cheeks along with the sweat, but he made no effort to stop them. How could he stay here when he was falling apart after less than two days?

"Surely, it cannot be as bad as all that, young Harry."

Harry flew to his feet, hands already thrust out at the direction of the voice. A wave of magic destroyed a stack of books, scattering the leftover bits in a wide arc around the room.

Harry stared at this phenomenon, at once amazed at the results of a simple hand movement, and aghast at the idea of what he had just done to someone. He started to shake, moving forward to see who he felt like he had just killed.

"Your aim is accurate enough, but you really should hone the skill of being more aware of your surroundings. Then you will know that you have not just decimated an ally."

He whirled about and saw the shimmering floating form of Sir Nicholas. Harry sank back to the floor in relief. "You scared the pee out of me, Nick! Don't do that!" He rubbed his chest where his heart was still thumping wildly. He stared up at the Gryffindor house ghost. "What are you doing here anyway, and how did you find me?"

"Ah, Harry. Ghosts know all about the castle. We are one with it, after all." He stared back at Harry for a moment and then admitted, "But it was the Grey Lady who told me your whereabouts. This is her domain; from where she originated."

Harry then saw the Lady hovering to the side of Sir Nicholas, her sad face gazing down at Harry.

"Are you going to tell Professor Dumbledore where I am?" Harry asked quickly.

"At the moment, your secret is safe. The Headmaster is most concerned about you, of course, but he is willing to wait for you to reach your own decision to return; unless, of course, you begin to be self-destructive. The castle will not let you do that."

Harry nodded and looked up at the Grey Lady. "Have I been moving your things, then? Do you want me to put them back?"

Sir Nicholas spoke, "The Lady is glad that the things are helping you. You are welcome to use any of her former belongings. She is somewhat chagrined over the way you are using some of her books." He gave a pointed look at the still fluttering scraps of paper around the room. "But she does understand the need of it, and she realizes that most of them would be useless to anyone."

Harry nodded to the Lady. "Thank you, ma'am."

She gave him a nod back. Sir Nicholas spoke again. "The Headmaster is concerned that you may not be eating. Not being a ghost, you do have some basic needs. If I were you, I'd call a house elf, perhaps that Dobby that is so fond of you, and have him bring you something."

Harry shook his head. "I thought of that. Dobby would do it, but then he'd know where I am. If any of them made him, he'd have to tell. But I can transfigure a book into bread, so I'm okay."

"That's hardly a proper meal, and I'm not sure that a transfigured book will taste all that good."

Harry waved a hand over a book lying beside him and it changed into a loaf. Picking it up, he tore a hunk out and took a bite. He frowned as he swallowed. "It's pretty tasteless, but if I get hungry enough, it'll have to do. Maybe I'll try to transfigure something else."

"As you wish, young Harry." Sir Nicholas and The Grey Lady began to drift away, and Sir Nicholas called over his shoulder, "If you have need, you may call upon me."

"Thanks, Nick."

After they were gone, Harry went back to his room. The bread he had transfigured really was not very good. He thought about what else he might be able to change a book into. He put a book on the floor and began to try different charms for changing inanimate objects into food. In the end, nothing looked like what he thought it should, and he was hesitant to try it. The bread would have to do.

He ate the tasteless bread, washing it down with water from the pitcher. It was filling, even if it wasn't appetizing. He tried to think of something positive, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Severus, and how he was walking with Draco … maybe Draco had been told everything about Harry's summer. Maybe he would be a real prat about it all and spread it all around school how Harry had been such a baby. He and Severus had probably laughed about it.

Harry grabbed some books and curled up on the settee. He set himself to reading, determined to forget, if only for awhile, that Severus was Draco's godfather, and the blond had a stronger, prior claim. Severus had known him longer, they were both Slytherin, Draco was very accomplished in the Potions lab.

Draco was everything Harry was not.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: I do not own Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form. It all belongs to JKR and some other very lucky parties who print, produce, and otherwise control HP. I'm just playing…_

_I've had the flu and pneumonia, so posting was delayed a bit. Thank you for your patience!_

_Thank you, lovely logicalquirk, for your beta work!_

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

**Chapter 5 **

Harry lost track of days, spending nights working and daylight sleeping. Hermione kept sending him their assignments and he would send back the ones he completed. She made comments about how the teachers thought his work was beyond what they asked. Harry just did what he thought was his best. It didn't seem hard when he had only the work itself to do, without distractions.

It even seemed like it wasn't as lonely as it was at first. The Grey Lady was often drifting around, and even though she was silent, Harry was still glad of her company. When he was poking around the various rooms, she would sometimes beckon to him and show him a particular object. It was always something Harry liked and he would take it back to his room. The room itself was very comfortable now. Harry had added another tapestry, this one a peculiar labyrinth design. He found it relaxing to let his mind wander as his eyes traced the pathway into and back out of the pattern's center.

The Lady had pointed out a small book case that Harry now kept all his books on. That freed up the large table for doing his essays.

In one room, there had been several suits of armor. Harry had taken them to his practice room to use as targets when casting. They were a great deal less easy to destroy, so Harry didn't have to feel so bad about ruining the Lady's books.

He had got better at transfiguring bread; the taste was less bland, and a bit more moist.

Sir Nicholas visited and told him news of Gryffindor. It was mostly about everyone's speculation regarding Harry. They were all wondering where he was and why the teachers weren't out looking for him. Ron and Hermione had apparently been close-mouthed about it, not even telling people that Harry was in the castle. Sir Nicholas thought that they were concerned that many of the Gryffindors might take it upon themselves to seek Harry out. They were afraid that people in other Houses might do the same, for less honorable reasons.

Harry was sitting at the table, writing a Care of Magical Creatures essay, when Sir Nicholas came one evening accompanied by the Bloody Baron. Harry looked at this ghost apprehensively. He wasn't at all sure he liked having the Slytherin House ghost know where he was. This ghost had always given him the creeps, and he barely suppressed a shiver as he looked at the ghost with his silvery blood stains.

Sir Nicholas said, "The Bloody Baron has been asked to personally check on your welfare," by way of explanation.

"Asked by who?"

Sir Nicholas exchanged silent communication with the Baron before saying, "Professor Snape wished for him to see that you were indeed in acceptable health."

Harry snorted. "As if he cares."

The Baron's eyes were a furious kind of silver at this and Sir Nicholas hastened to say, "He is definitely concerned about you, young Harry. The man has been beside himself in the privacy of his chambers. He has gone on lone hunts for you on many a night when he can't sleep."

Harry sat silently at that. Maybe he should try the link, just to see what Snape was like right now. Maybe he owed him that at least.

Harry got up and went to lie down on the settee. His toy Prongs was there, ready for whenever Harry had felt an overwhelming need to be near Snape. Harry knew now that Snape had charmed the toy so that it gave additional comfort when Harry was upset. Harry thought that must mean something; like perhaps there was a part of Snape that still cared for Harry.

He pulled the deer close to inhale the charmed scent. Opening the link, he whispered,

'_Severus?'_

The response was immediate. _'Harry, where are you?'_

'_I'm here in the castle –'_

'_I know that! Where exactly are you? I'll come to you.'_

'_I can't deal with that yet. I'm still working it out.'_

'_Harry, we'll work on a schedule together. I won't overload you.'_

'_Actually, I've been working on stuff myself. I don't want to go by a schedule.'_

'_You can't spend your entire school year like this. You need practical experience; the teachers need to oversee your casting.'_

'_My casting is getting pretty good. I've been practicing with my wand and my hands. It's getting easier to control and direct.'_

'_Still, we need to resume your Occlumency. If the Dark Lord decides to invade your dreams, you have little reserve.'_

'_I've been keeping you out,'_ Harry pointed out sarcastically.

'_Do not presume that his abilities are as small as mine. He will rend your mind to pieces.'_

'_Okay; I'll practice harder at Occluding.'_

There was silence and Harry could sense that Snape was holding his tongue, and working hard at not being impatient with Harry. Finally, Snape said,

'_Harry, I was wrong to think that I could organize your time better. I came to realize that I was expecting too much from you. If you come back, we can begin again.'_

Now Harry was silent for a bit. He didn't want to make Snape angry again, but he couldn't take the uncertainty of their relationship.

'_I can't yet … don't get mad … I just need to know I can do this on my own, without depending on anyone.'_

'_You don't have to do it alone; and I'm not angry, I'm frustrated that you are refusing to let me help you. Over the summer we grew to be something more than just student and teacher. I'm your guardian now.'_

'_That's part of what I'm working through … I've always had to deal with everything on my own. Even my friends have never understood it all. Having a guardian just means that there's someone else to worry about pleasing. I don't want you to be disappointed, or anything, and I don't want you to wish you'd just stayed away from me. I know you can't enjoy being my guardian.'_

'_I am glad to be your guardian. I told you once before, it's given me something I never hoped to have; for awhile, you were a child, and I knew what it must be like to have one. I was made to see the world through eyes that were not jaded.'_ Snape seemed to be thinking for a moment and then said, '_You do not disappoint me. You cannot; the fact that you have survived all that you've been through amazes me.'_

Harry could sense that Snape was there, waiting for him to make the first move toward bringing them back together. But he still didn't feel ready to face the actual reality of it. He still had other questions.

'_I saw you on the map … I think you might have been looking for me. Draco was with you.'_ He waited, to see if Snape would be angry now that he knew Harry had been watching.

Snape kept his tone even, in spite of those exact feelings_. 'Draco is my godson, and I will do whatever I can to try and keep him from following his father into the Dark Lord's service. But you also matter to me. I was looking for you. I am still looking for you. I will not stop looking until I find you.'_

Harry could not help feeling warm when Snape made that comment. He needed to believe that he mattered to him. He felt like he was choking on threatening tears.

'_I have to go now. I miss you.'_

He closed the link before Snape could say anything else.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

In the dungeons, Snape slumped down onto his own sofa, pinching the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes. He had hoped that he would be able to talk Harry into returning. He had kept his temper, and that was something, since he was still furious that Harry had run off. He knew that it would not be long before he was summoned to a Death Eater meeting. How would Harry fare? Snape would be left to trust that Harry would be able to successfully occlude all thoughts of the link they shared so the Dark Lord would not discover it. Harry would not be accessible to be sedated if he had difficulty; if Snape was tortured again, could Harry block it out?

And now Harry said he had been practicing on his own, getting more comfortable with both wanded and wandless casting. He would have to ask the Bloody Baron if the boy was really doing himself any good with his lone efforts.

When he discovered that the ghosts knew where Harry was, he had spent some time attempting to convince them to take him to Harry. Dumbledore had told him again that as part of the castle, the ghosts would protect Harry unless he tried to do himself harm. Dumbledore had spent time with the ghosts and he was certain that they were watching over the boy. Unless Harry called for a house elf, they were not very likely to find Harry with ghostly aid.

Snape had spoken to Dobby himself. He thought that Harry might call for the elf and if he did, he wanted Dobby to inform him immediately. Dobby had cowered on his knees, and Snape had let him believe that he would exact severe punishment if Dobby did not tell him when Harry called him.

But Harry must have figured that Snape would do that, because he had not called for Dobby. He sent return owls to Ron and Hermione and Snape had attempted to watch Hedwig to see where she went. The snowy owl was too clever and would simply fly away from the castle and out over the Forbidden Forest. She never flew back to the castle until Snape ceased his observations.

Hermione would turn in Harry's homework everyday along with hers. The other teachers were quite satisfied and felt that this was sufficient to keep Harry caught up. They often spoke of how much more detailed Harry's essays were now, how he seemed to have a more focused grasp of the topics than when he was actually in attendance. Snape had read Harry's Potions essays with interest. They were well-worded and he had obviously read and studied his textbook and the additional readings thoroughly. He, too, saw that Harry was doing a much better job on his own than when he was with his friends.

But what was he giving up to be able to do this? He was alone, with no one around him. He was without his friends; the very ones he had said were so important to him. He was enforcing a solitary existence on himself. It might be a good short-term strategy, but in the long run, Harry would need people. He was not the type to be on his own all the time.

As if his very thoughts had been heard by the Dark Lord, the mark on his arm began to burn, Cursing, he threw Floo powder into the fire and called for Dumbledore. The Headmaster's head appeared in seconds. One look at Snape's face had him stepping through to Snape's quarters.

Without pause, Snape barked, "I am being summoned. You must make sure that Harry is safe. I don't care what you have to do, just find him and see that he is able to occlude. I will do my utmost to see that I keep all of this from the Dark Lord."

He was grabbing his Death Eater regalia as he spoke. Every second he delayed meant more suspicion from those in the Inner Circle and the Dark Lord himself. Stopping before he entered the fire, he faced Dumbledore. "Draco has been getting quite a few letters from his father. Most of them have hinted that something is about to happen; something big." He glared into the serious blue eyes. "I can't afford to be distracted. I am leaving it to you to watch them both."

"I will send the ghosts to take extra care of Harry. Draco, I will send for myself."

Snape gave momentary consideration to Dumbldore's words and had to accept that it would be enough. With a curt nod, he turned and vanished in a flare of green flames.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Harry clutched at his left forearm, groaning with the pain. He curled himself onto his side and stared at the labyrinth tapestry. Focusing his mind, he started following the path in the design, around the curves and twisting designs. He regulated his breathing, forcing it to be slow and deep.

When Sir Nicholas appeared, Harry barely heard him asking if he was alright. He managed a nod keeping his eyes on the labyrinth. He knew that it was helping when the pain in his arm disappeared. His scar began to blaze then, and Harry had to double his efforts.

Underneath it all, Harry was thinking of Snape, knowing that he had answered the call, hoping that this time he would not be tortured. He relaxed into the Occlumency, letting the circuitous pattern lull his mind and fill it until there was no room for anything else. He drifted, and finally his eyes closed, the labyrinth path on continuous replay.

He had no way of knowing how long he lay there; how much time had passed. It was a distant sound when he became aware of a voice calling to him. Sir Nicholas gradually came into focus when Harry opened his eyes.

"Harry, wake up now. You must wake up now."

Harry pushed himself up into a sitting position and looked around. Sir Nicholas and The Grey Lady were hovering right next to him; behind them, the Bloody Baron and the Fat Friar.

Sir Nicholas spoke in a voice of relief, "We were about to get Headmaster Dumbledore. You have been unresponsive for hours."

Harry rubbed his eyes and his forehead, searching for remnants of discomfort. His whole head ached, but his scar was quiet. The phantom Dark Mark no longer burned. He looked up at the Baron.

"Has Severus returned?"

The Baron nodded and Nicholas elaborated, "Just a short while ago, Professor Snape came back to the castle. While he is in his usual foul temper after such a meeting, he is unhurt."

Harry nodded tiredly. "Will you tell him I'm alright?" The Bloody Baron gave him a nod and Harry added, "I'll wait for him to open the link. Tell him I need to hear it from him that he is safe."

The Baron and the Friar disappeared through the walls. Harry stood up and swayed on his feet. He needed to eat and he was glad that he had a partial loaf of bread left from earlier.

Sitting at his large table, he sipped at some water and nibbled on a hunk of the bread.

Sir Nicholas asked, "Are you certain that you should be alone here? We don't mind being here for you, but ghosts are a poor substitute for human contact."

"I can't go back yet. I'm learning to be stronger. When I'm strong enough, I'll go back."

"How will you know when that time comes?"

Harry looked at him silently. How would he know? "I don't know. Maybe I'll simply wake up one morning and feel it."

He did feel something right now; he felt apprehensive, like there was something wrong; something had either happened or was about to. He looked at the stained glass window. It was dark outside. Getting up, he opened it to see if there was any hint of sunrise. Off to the side, the sky did seem to be less dark; dawn was not far away. Out of the sky, a white shape swooped down, startling him.

Hedwig flew right into the room, lighting on the back of the settee. A roll of parchment was tied to her leg. Harry stroked her soft feathers and gave her a brief scratch on her neck before untying it.

Harry,

Hermione's parents were attacked last night. No word yet on how they are. McGonagall has her in her quarters, and I'm not allowed to see her right now. Can you believe that? I'm her bloody boyfriend! I wanted you to know, and to ask if we can use Hedwig to try and get more information about the Grangers. She's so much faster, and smarter, than the school owls.

Later,

Ron

Harry felt a terror grip his heart and he sat on the floor. Had his dream come true, then? The nightmare he had had when they had been at the Grangers; he had seen Voldemort at their house. There had been threats and screaming. Severus had said there was no way to know if it had been a premonition. Had it proven itself to be exactly that?

Closing his eyes, he reached out, _'Severus, did my dream come true?'_

There was no answer to his question. Harry got up and took the parchment to the table. He wrote a quick note back to Ron, telling him he could use Hedwig any time. Tying the note back on he outstretched leg, he spoke softly, "Take this to Ron straight away. If he needs to send out a letter, or try to get information about the Grangers, I want you to help. You're the best owl he could use; Hermione too." She nibbled his fingers gently at his praise. He fed her a scrap of bread and she took off back out the window.

He watched until she was gone. The sky was beginning to show more signs of light and he closed the window against the chill of the morning.

When he turned back around, The Bloody Baron was back. Sir Nicholas was looking at him and there was an exchange of words that Harry couldn't hear.

Nicholas floated over to Harry and said, "Professor Snape is with the Headmaster. They ask that you be patient while waiting for him to contact you. It has apparently been a bad night."

"Yeah, I feel that. But I can't be patient. I need to know what's happened. Hedwig just brought me a note from Ron saying that Hermione's parents were attacked. I need to know if they're alright."

Nicholas regarded him silently and Harry frowned. "The Bloody Baron found something out about them, didn't he? What is it?"

Sir Nicholas sighed, looking at the Baron's forbidding face. He looked back at Harry and said softly, "It would appear that the Grangers did not survive. The details are not clear, but the Baron says that there is much turmoil in the quarters of the Headmaster and the Deputy Headmistress."

Harry slumped onto the settee. The Grangers were dead? He covered his eyes with his hands. He could have told them, made them leave their house a long time ago. They would have been safe.

'_Severus, I could have warned them. They would still be alive if I had warned them. It's my fault –'_

'_Not everything is your fault. I cannot speak with you right now.'_

The link that had been open so briefly, closed so abruptly. Harry probed harder, needing to say more, ask more, know more. Snape was not answering.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: A brief interruption to say again that I own nothing in the wonderful world of Harry Potter. JKR owns it all, bless her! _

_Thank you to my amazing beta, logicalquirk! You are the best!_

_Thank you to everyone who is reading and leaving the reviewas that mean so much to us lowly ff authors! Your kind words are like manna, and we love every bite!_

_Now, a warning: This fic was rated M in the beginning and has certainly not seemed so; but now the water gets deeper and in the next chapters, there will be imagery that may be disturbing to some people. If you like the story so far, you will probably appreciate its relevance. Forewarned is forearmed…_

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

**Chapter 6**

Professor McGonagall had finally allowed Ron to join Hermione in the Deputy Headmistress's office. She was wrapped in his arms, sobbing. He knew that there had been an attack on the Grangers, and McGonagall had just told him that they had not survived. The house had burned to the ground, and it was being blamed on a lightening strike from the thunderstorm that had raged overhead.

Ron looked up at the older teacher's tired face. "How do they know that it wasn't just lightening?"

Somehow, even though they were gone, it would be easier if he could just assure Hermione that her parents hadn't suffered. If it had really been Death Eaters, they could be sure that the end had not been an easy one.

McGonagall shook her head, knowing exactly why Ron was asking. "The Dark Mark was over the scene, Mr. Weasley. It is certain." She laid a comforting hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Madame Pomfrey has given her a calming draught. When she is ready to rest, she can stay here. I know that you will want to be with her. I have taken the liberty of informing your parents, so they can offer her whatever comfort they may."

Ron nodded gratefully. He knew his mum and dad would take Hermione in. He tightened his embrace and leaned his cheek against her hair. Murmuring soothing noises, he rocked her slowly as they sat side by side.

McGonagall left them and headed up to Dumbledore's office. She found the Headmaster pacing, his face grave. Snape was sitting in a chair, elbows on his knees as he rested an exhausted face in his hands. He looked up at her entrance, and she held back a gasp at the bruises on his jaw and cheek.

Dumbledore barely acknowledged her, but asked a question she knew he had asked Snape already. "Severus, how did it get so out of control?"

"It was never _in_ my control, Albus. They were already there when I was summoned. I was taken by my mark directly to their home. The Dark Lord had already begun issuing orders to torture them." He sighed and stood up. "I had no say in which Muggle household would get their attention. My best guess is that they were chosen by Malfoy as some twisted way of revenge for their Muggleborn daughter besting his son here at Hogwarts. That has never been easy for him to stomach. That, and the fact that Draco has been receiving letters from his father telling him to watch for something to happen, lead me to believe that they were targeted by him."

"Was there nothing you could have done to intervene?" McGonagall asked.

"Short of shouting out my duplicitous role as spy for the Order? No." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I did what I could."

"And what exactly did you do, Severus?" Dumbledore asked quietly.

Snape looked into the blue eyes, "Do not ask me to say it aloud." They stood in silent communication for a long time. When Snape finally lowered his black eyes and sat back down, Dumbledore sat down as well, a weary hand stroking his long beard.

McGonagall knew that they would not be letting her in on the details, and she was certain that she did not want to know them. She conjured a tray set with brewed tea and sandwiches. Snape looked as if he could use something stronger in his and she added a bottle of Firewhiskey to the tray before laying it on the low table.

Snape went straight for the bottle, conjuring his own glass to pour it into. After swallowing a large gulp, he hurled the glass angrily into the fire. McGonagall jumped, but held her seat. She watched as he paced the floor in front of the fire, cursing under his breath. He would stop and wrap his arms around himself, shuddering from the after effects of a Cruciatus curse. Dumbledore watched, obviously at a loss as to what to say or do in response to whatever Snape had told him.

Snape suddenly came to a halt, drawing McGonagall and Dumbledore's attention with his sound of surprise. They turned to see Harry standing there at the doorway. There was shock that he was there at all, and shock that he was there without having been admitted by Dumbledore's password.

His eyes were only on Snape, though, and the Potions Master took a hesitant step towards him before stopping himself. A grim expression settled on his face and he drew back. Harry looked up at him, uncertain whether the man was angry at him, at himself, or just in general.

"I came because you wouldn't answer. I had to see for myself that you were alright."

Snape turned back to the fire. "As you can see, I am fine."

"You don't look fine. You look like hell."

Snape whirled about and stalked towards him, causing Harry to retreat a step. "Are you here to stay, or are you planning to run off again?"

"I wanted to find out about how the Grangers were killed. Did my dream come true?" He looked up into the black eyes, willing him to say that it had not been Death Eaters, to say that it had been some sort of accident.

Snape turned away again, unable to keep up the eye contact. Harry saw the telling tremble that came from experiencing the Cruciatus and he reached out to take Snape's arm. Snape shrugged him off and walked away to the other side of the room.

Harry spoke to him through the link, _'Talk to me. Tell me you tried to stop it. You were there, weren't you?'_

Snape closed his eyes in resignation. '_Yes. I was there. I was summoned and the Dark Lord was already there with the Inner Circle.'_

'_But you tried to make them stop, right?'_

"_How, exactly, do you think I could have done that? Do you suppose that a simple request would have worked? Do you think I should have thrown myself in front of the Death Eaters and proclaimed them my friends and demanded that they leave?_'

Harry shrunk back from the fury in the mind voice. _'They were your friends. They were friends to us all and they were Hermione's parents. There must have been something you could have done.'_

'_I did what I could.'_

'_What?'_

'_Don't ask me that.'_

'_I need to know!'_

Snape faced him then and Harry felt the fury of the black eyes to match the fury of the voice. _'I killed her.'_ He stared into the shocked green eyes. 'I_ killed her.'_

Harry stumbled backwards. He could not have heard Snape correctly. He could not have just said that he killed Ellen Granger. He kept his eyes locked with Snape's for an eternally lasting minute, waiting for him to say that he hadn't meant it. When the words didn't come, Harry backed towards the door. He finally broke the eye contact and looked at Dumbledore and McGonagall. With a disbelieving shake of his head, he threw the invisibility cloak over himself and fled the room.

McGonagall jumped up to follow, but as soon as she got to the door, Dumbledore spoke, "Let him go, Minerva."

She looked incredulous, "You're letting him go again? He needs to be here –"

"He needs to be where he needs to be," Dumbledore said simply. He looked into the angry black eyes of Snape, "You should have told him all of it. He would have understood then."

"He's a child. He would not understand why."

"You underestimate him, Severus."

McGonagall stared at both of them. She did not know what was behind all that had happened. She was concerned about Harry running away again, and these two seeming to be willing to allow it. She was worried about Hermione Granger and the loss she had just suffered. She thought they should be worried about these things too, and they were still sitting and standing there, doing nothing.

As if hearing her thoughts, Snape strode to the door. "I will be in the dungeons."

Dumbledore merely nodded sadly at his retreating back.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Harry ran until he could not run anymore. He was back in an uninhabited part of the castle and he slid to the floor in a heap, burying his face in his arms as he wrapped them around his knees. Sobs wracked him and he couldn't breathe for the pain in his heart.

Ellen Granger … Hermione's mum … the woman who had hugged him so warmly; told him he could stay with them if he needed to … she had hooked her arm through his as they had walked along the streets of London the night they went to the theatre … she wiped his face with a wet cloth … she smiled … she hugged… Harry sobbed.

He must have fallen into an exhausted sleep while still crying. When he opened his eyes, it was dark and for a moment, he forgot where he was. Then he realized that he really didn't know where he was. He pulled the Marauders Map out and activated it. With a quiet Lumos, he looked for his labeled dot. Finding it, he traced a route back to the label that said Harry Potter's Room. Getting to his feet, he walked slowly back to the space he had claimed as his own.

Once there, he fell onto the settee and dragged his blanket over himself. Pulling Prongs to his chest, he whispered, "How could you do that?" Fresh tears flowed as he thought about Hermione. She was an orphan now. What would happen to her? There was no way that he could tell her that Snape had killed her mum.

He thought into the link_, 'How could you? I'll never be able to look at Hermione again, knowing what I know.'_

'_You don't know everything that happened, what forced me to take the actions I did –'_

'_Forced you? You were forced to kill a woman who was your friend?' _Harry felt a fury well up in him. _'She took you into her home and cooked dinner for you … she was gentle … she was good …'_

'_She was like Lily …_' came the agonized voice.

'_Well, I'm sure you were just as broken up about her death too, weren't you?'_

'_Harry, let me tell you –'_

'_I don't want to hear your excuses. I don't want to talk to you anymore tonight. I'm not sure that I ever want to talk to you again.'_ Harry closed the link with a snap. He hugged Prongs tighter. Blocking out everything else, he looked over to the labyrinth tapestry. He let all the burdens go as he wound his way through the paths leading to the center. Before he could make his way back to the beginning, he was asleep.

Tapping on the window woke him up. Light was streaming in the window, a rainbow of colors flooding the floor. Harry thought that was wrong. There should not be such beauty after people had died.

The tapping reminded him why he had been awakened in the first place. He sat up and opened the window to let Hedwig come in. She had more than one note attached to her leg. He absently stroked her feathered neck as he read the first one.

Dear Harry,

Knowing that Mr. Weasley is using your owl to keep in touch with you, I took the chance that he might send my message along with his.

I understand your anger towards Severus right now. I only ask that you consider the precarious position he has been in. He has had to balance two difficult roles, being both in the Order and in the Inner Circle of Voldemort. As much as it pains me to say it, in a war there are casualties. The ones lost are often the ones that are the hardest to lose.

You need to hear what Severus has to say about what happened before you pass judgment on him. He is a proud man and his life has been as harsh as yours in many ways.

Take what time you need, but I ask you to give my request due thought.

A.D.

Harry really didn't want to think about Snape right now. He tossed Dumbledore's note aside and reached for the next one.

Harry,

I guess you probably already know that Mr. and Mrs. Granger are dead. Hermione is holding up okay, with some help from Pomfrey's potions. My mum came and took her back to the Burrow until after the services. I'll let you know when they'll be, but I'm sure Dumbledore won't let you go. He has already told me that he's considering not letting any of us go. I'll quit school if I have to, because I won't let 'Mione be alone for that.

Before she left, she said she was worried about you. She knew you had really felt something for her mum when we were there at the end of the summer. I told her I would write and let you know what was happening.

Harry, we miss you. I hope you're getting it all straight, whatever problem you're having. Has Snape tried to help? He seemed to be able to help you this summer, even if I never liked that fact.

Write me back and let me know you're okay so I can reassure Hermione.

Ron

Harry read the note through again before giving a sigh. He wrote back:

Ron,

I can't tell you how sorry I am about what happened to the Grangers. I should have been able to stop it. I wish I had.

Give Hermione my love and a big hug from me. You're probably right about Dumbledore not letting me go to the services. But he'll let you go. I bet he will. I'm glad Hermione is with your mum.

To answer your question about Snape helping me – I can't say that he is at the moment, but I don't want his help either. Long story and one best kept for when I have a clearer head.

For now, just tell 'Mione I'm alright, and she should just take care of herself. Don't worry about me. I miss you both, too.

Harry

He read it again before tying it to Hedwig's leg. He wanted to be sure that he didn't say anything that would point them to Snape as a murderer, but he didn't want to let the man totally off the hook either. He was trying really hard to hold on to Dumbledore's admonition to wait to pass judgment, but he kept hearing Snape's words, _'I killed her.'_

How was he supposed to get past _that_? Some part of him desperately wished he had not pushed so hard for Snape to tell him what happened. He had needed to know, and he had found out, hadn't he? He kept trying to think of anything that might make Snape's admission make sense. Had he been forced by Voldemort to do it? Harry could not fathom Snape killing Ellen unless the situation was dire. Then he could not fathom a dire enough situation.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N1: Warning for some disturbing imagery ahead in the next chapters!_

_A/N2: There is so much happening right now in the story that there will be chapters that retell events from different POV's. Eventually, I won't be writing a day-by-day accounting and things will move along faster!_

_A/N3: Thanks for all the get well wishes and for all the reviews! I love 'em!_

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

**Chapter 7**

Draco lay on his bed with the curtain drawn closed. Slytherins who supported a Pureblood-only society were celebrating in the common room. Draco had offered obligatory hurrahs and then escaped to the dormitory. He had finally stopped shaking.

He knew that the death of the Grangers had been engineered by his father. He had the letter that all but spelled it out …

… _you will soon be unchallenged as the brightest student of your year … the Mudblood will be leaving after we have done with those who spawned her …_

He wanted to talk to Severus, but the man had been holed up in his office, refusing to see anyone.

Dumbledore had asked Draco to his own office late the night before. Draco had gone after the old man had insisted. He had spent the time chatting about school, the teachers, and had kept offering him Muggle sweets. Draco had been curious about why the Headmaster was so obviously detaining him, so he had sat patiently enduring the 'visit'.

In the early morning hours, Snape had stepped through the fireplace; Death Eater attire making him seem even more of a menacing, towering presence. He had looked at Draco for a long moment before ordering him to go back to his dormitory. Draco remembered seeing kind of sadness in the man's black eyes before it was quickly hidden and replaced by his usual sneer. The welling bruise along Snape's jaw had not gone unnoticed.

In his common room, some of the older Slytherins had been gathered, talking in quiet excitement about what was happening at that very moment. Their parents had apparently told them that an important event would be taking place and they were waiting up for news.

Draco sat down, saying that he had been unable to sleep and had been wandering the halls. There was no other choice but to join them in the waiting. When the first messages came, there was practically a riot that brought all the other Slytherins from their beds. He had finally managed to make excuses and retreat to his bed. When he thought about how excited most of the other Slytherins were about the deaths of Hermione Granger's parents, he had started to shake. Knowing that his own father had probably set it all up had made him physically ill.

He had thought about his family's beliefs quite a bit of late. He had been taught that pure blood was superior in every way, deserving of power and fortune. Muggleborns and half-bloods tainted the wizarding lines. Intermarrying ruined the power of the magic in families. It was only acceptable to marry a fellow pureblood. All others were less than human and fit only to be used and discarded.

Draco had talked to Snape about the things his father had said, trying to get a feeling for where Snape stood. He knew that on the surface Snape stood with those in support of pure blood supremacy. But he had read between the lines during their conversation. Snape was always very careful not to bad-mouth either side of the argument. He disguised this by encouraging Slytherins to use their own minds to think through the various schools of thought. He had often told them not to be a sheep and blindly follow a crowd. In Draco's mind, that meant that Snape believed that following the Dark Lord was the same as being a sheep. He believed that Snape was one of the smartest men he knew and he trusted him many times over his own father. For he had seen a madness shining in the eyes of the senior Malfoy, a madness and thirst for blood that had nothing to do with supremacy and everything to do with a cruel desire to hurt and destroy. He had felt his father's wrath over something as small as not being able to grasp a difficult spell on the first attempt. Lucius Malfoy craved power, and he would do anything to feel it. It was an addiction that he fed with whatever was at hand. He used Draco's schooling to impress friends and acquaintances about how highly intelligent his Pureblood son was. When he was bested by a Mudblood, he took it out in Draco's hide.

Draco remembered the first time his father had discovered that not only had Draco been beaten by a girl, but the girl was a Gryffindor, and a Muggleborn. The scores had come by owl during the summer holiday after Draco's first year. Lucius swaggered into the Ministry the next day, sitting down at his seat on the Board of Governors, oozing pride in his heir's accomplishments. That was when a fellow board member told him that the highest first-year scores had actually been made by a Gryffindor female of Muggle parentage. Lucius had managed to remain civil while still at the Ministry. Once home, however, he had ranted at Draco like a man possessed. Draco had stood quietly, head held high, expression suitably ashamed. He had been relieved when his father had sent him to his room to begin his summer studies with the order not to simply _try_ harder to be the best, but _be_ the best; whatever the cost.

But Lucius wasn't finished with him. Various Slytherin alumni had heard of the brightest mind of the year their own children were in, and it wasn't a Slytherin. It soothed their own egos that it wasn't Malfoy's son; as he had always been quick to insist that his was the brightest. Lucius had taken Draco to the Manor dungeon and beaten him. Narcissa had not interfered, but had crept to Draco later in the night, soothing the lash marks left on his back and legs with her wand, calming his tears with soft caresses of Draco's platinum hair.

Draco has learned then that his father was a sadistic egomaniac. He didn't know for certain if he treated his mother the same way, but he had suspicions based upon her familiarity with healing charms and her supply of pocket sized vials of pain relief potions.

So he had returned to school with hatred even bigger for Hermione Granger. These past years, he had nursed it, cultivated it, trying to tell himself that the academic honors she achieved were rightfully his, just as his father had drilled into him. But down deep inside, he had realized that she was the brighter. She did deserve it more.

This last spring, when they had attended a musical theatre of the presentation of The Phantom of the Opera, he had played right along with his parents in their pureblooded baiting and snubbing of the Grangers. His father had been very suspicious of the fact that Severus was with them. Severus had passed it off as an assignment from Dumbledore. He was to be keeping an eye on the trouble-maker, Harry Potter. Draco had been jealous that Severus was with Potter and the rest of the Trio. He had wished that he was part of that group, when they had watched from their limousine as they passed by, laughing and clearly enjoying their evening. It had not escaped him that the Grangers had maintained a classy sort of civility that his Pureblood parents lacked.

Turning over on his side, he knew he would not sleep this night. A quick time-telling charm told him that it was almost 4 in the morning. He got up and walked silently out of his dormitory, passing various Slytherins who were passed-out in the common room, a result of their overindulgent celebrating.

He didn't feel a need to be sneaky at this time. Who in their right minds wandered the corridors at this hour? Hands in his pockets, he walked aimlessly, finding himself at the Astronomy Tower.

Out on the ramparts he stood looking over the moonlit grounds below. How could it look so serene when elsewhere in the world such ugliness had happened? He sat with his back against the castle wall, arms around drawn up knees. His father would grimace in disgust at such a common way of sitting, getting his trousers soiled by sitting directly on the ground. Well that was great; really great, in fact. Who the hell cared what Lucius Malfoy thought anyway? He no longer did.

He wondered about his mother. What did she think about all this? She was coolly affectionate to Draco when they were alone, while maintaining the strictly formal aloofness that Lucius demanded when he was present. Did she agree with the extremes her husband had gone to? Was she a Death Eater, too?

Draco put his head onto his knees then. He had admitted it to himself, finally. His father really was a Death Eater. He really would expect Draco to follow him into service to Voldemort. He remembered how glamorous he had thought it would be, how powerful he would feel … the musings of an idiot, he thought now. It would take a truly deranged mind to want to do the things Death Eaters must do.

He steeled himself for the letter he knew his father would be sending; it might already be on its way, detailing the previous evenings activities. His father would have a need to brag about it, of that he was sure.

The sun was just coming up over the trees when the Malfoy eagle owl found Draco still sitting at the top most place in the castle. He pulled the rolled parchment from its leg and waved it off, muttering, "Go on, I don't have anything to give you, and even if I did, I hardly want to show my appreciation for you finding me to deliver my father's letter."

The owl gave him a hard bite before taking wing again. Draco rubbed his bitten hand, watching the bird disappear before looking down at the letter. He unrolled it slowly and read:

_My son,_

_Your way to being the top student is now cleared. It is unimaginable that the disgusting Mudblood will stay at Hogwarts after last night. Details will have to wait until we are face to face, but rest assured that the facts are more delicious than anything you can dream up. _

_As the best of Hogwarts, it is assured that you will also be welcomed into the Inner Circle earlier than any other ever before. I will be so proud to be the father of the youngest in the service to our master._

_L.M._

Draco wadded the letter up, wishing he had the courage to throw himself off the tower. Now it looked like he would be forced to become a Death Eater before he even took his NEWTS.

Standing up, he looked out over the grounds again, stepping close to the edge to peer down. It was a long way, high enough to kill, high enough to have time to think about it on the way down. He backed away, and then slowly went to the door and then back into the castle. He could always think about it again later, keep it as an option if things got really messed up, if it came down to it being the more appealing choice in the end.

Not wanting to go back to Slytherin, he went to the Great Hall. Very few were about at this early hour, but when he sat down, a selection of food appeared in front of him. He stared at it, knowing that anything going in would most likely come back up. He settled for a small glass of pumpkin juice and a piece of bacon that he dragged through the runny yolk of a fried egg. He was staring at it still when more Slytherins sat down at the table.

"What a night, huh, Malfoy?" Crabbe was shoveling food onto his plate as he talked.

"Bet all our dads were in on it. Wish we coulda been there too." Goyle sounded wistful as he began to butter a slice of toast.

Draco sat silently, but if they thought it was unusual, they didn't comment. They were used to his arrogant attitudes and that did make it easier to ignore them. They were each involved in their own thoughts when Professor Dumbledore stood and asked for their attention.

"I know that not everyone is present yet, but I would ask that each of you pass on what I am about to tell you, as it concerns us all." He paused, and Draco thought he looked tired and older this morning. He also thought he knew what the Headmaster was about to say.

Dumbledore continued, "Last night, one of our students lost her parents in an attack by Death Eaters." Many voices whispered around the other tables. Slytherin knew what was coming; so they were silent, a few even smiling behind their hands. "Hermione Granger's parents were Muggles and we assume they were targeted because of her affiliation with the school and with her close friends."

Dumbledore didn't say Potter's name, but any informed person knew who her closest friends were. "Due to the nature of what has occurred and the fact that it is so near the weekend, classes today are cancelled. Those of you who feel close enough to Miss Granger may address your condolences in care of the Weasley family. Regretfully, I feel that it would not be safe for any students to attend the services for her parents."

There was a heavy silence around the Hall for several moments before a tall Ravenclaw raised his hand and stood. Dumbledore acknowledged him and he asked, "Will she be able to return to class, sir? I mean, will she even want to?"

Dumbledore looked around the room and Draco could almost feel it the instant the blue eyes fell on him. "I do not know. I would hope that Miss Granger will choose to complete her education here at Hogwarts. Each person deals with grief differently. What I do know is that she will need the support of her friends, whether she stays or goes. No matter what house you are in, I am certain that she would appreciate your help and concern at this time." He sat back down, turning to talk to Professor McGonagall.

Draco noted that Snape was absent from the head table. He supposed that after last night, the man was finding that he also had a lack of appetite.

Slytherins were now making plans for another party later in their common room. Draco stood and mumbled an excuse about having more homework to catch up on since he had the time.

In the library, he went to the very back and slouched into an easy chair that was hidden from view unless you looked for it. He grabbed a book that lay on the table beside him and opened it, so he could easily claim to be reading if anyone asked. Minutes later he finally fell into a troubled sleep, his head propped up on his hand.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Snape fled the Headmasters office and walked quickly to the dungeons where he slammed the doors and locked himself away. He threw the Death Eater mask against the wall hard enough to crack it in two pieces. Ripping the black robes off, he tore it in half from neck to hem. A rage so deep welled up inside him and he needed to find an outlet for it. Striding to the lab, he went to a cabinet and methodically pulled vials and bottles out. Each one was sent crashing into the wall. Some combinations sizzled and smoked as they mixed against the stone. Pooling on the floor beneath, heavy fumes began to rise from the mess. His shoulders heaved with emotion that he was not used to feeling. He had forgotten how crippling such emotion could be.

He felt Harry probing hesitantly, asking softly,_ 'How could you? I'll never be able to look at Hermione again, knowing what I know.'_

Snape answered tiredly, _'You don't know everything that happened, what forced me to take the actions I did –'_

'_Forced you?' _ Harry's voice sounded incredulous and Snape could hear the boy's fury._ 'You were forced to kill a woman who was your friend?' Sn_ape saw in his mind the accusing green eyes; Lily's eyes. _'She took you into her home and cooked dinner for you … she was gentle … she was good …'_

'_She was like Lily …_' he heard the agony in his own voice.

But Harry was relentless in his sarcastic reply. _'Well, I'm sure you were just as broken up about her death too, weren't you?'_

He didn't know what he would say, but he had to try and explain. _'Harry, let me tell you what –'_

'_I don't want to hear your excuses. I don't want to talk to you anymore tonight. I'm not sure that I ever want to talk to you again.'_ Harry closed the link with a snap that seemed to echo in Snape's head like a bell sounding a death knell.

With a cry of helpless rage, Snape swept the entire contents of his storage cabinet into the floor. He left the room, slamming the door behind him to contain the caustic and poisonous disaster. Sealing the door to his quarters against anyone who might try and enter, he then turned to the fireplace. Throwing in Floo Powder, he called out the destination of the one place he knew no one would find him.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hermione held the warm cup in her hands, not wanting to drink the tea but needing something to hold on to. Her hands were so cold and the heat felt soothing, as if it put a little life back into her. Her eyes were not focused on the table they seemed to be staring at and she started when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She lifted empty brown eyes to look into Molly Weasley's sad hazel ones. She absently thought how much Ron's eyes were like his mothers, and then remembered how her dad had always aid her eyes were like Ellen's … Tears began to make fresh tracks down her cheeks and she shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I can't seem to stop crying, I really am trying to …" She put the cup down and swiped at the tears with her hands.

Molly enfolded her in a hug, rocking the girl as she sobbed. "Sh-sh-sh, It's alright to cry, dear. You need to let it out sometime, and there's no rules about how often, how much, or how long. You just do what you need to. I'm here … I'm here."

Hermione gripped the other woman tightly, needing the arms around her, needing to feel a physical presence there with her. Molly held her until she stopped crying. She knew the child had to be exhausted from lack of sleep, and the trauma of losing her parents. Perhaps she would finally let Molly take her upstairs and put her to bed.

"Let's get you a warm bath and settle you into bed, hmm?"

Hermione nodded and let Molly lead her upstairs. A bubble bath was drawn and Molly laid out soft towels and a bath robe of Ginny's. With a wave of her wand, she produced another steamy cup of tea that she left beside the tub. "You just have a good soak and I'll be up in a bit to help you get to bed. Madame Pomfrey sent a sleeping potion for you."

With a pat on her arm, Molly left her to herself. Hermione undressed and slid into the tub. She laid her head back, not caring that her hair was getting soaked because she forgot to put it up. More tears leaked out and ran down her cheeks to drop into the water. She would never see her mum and dad again. How was that possible? Surely there had been some sort of mistake. Why would her parents ever fall victim to Death Eaters? They had never hurt anyone … wait … back in the spring when they had all gone to the theatre … they had run into the Malfoys and Mr. Malfoy had said some awful things. Her dad had stood up to him, even placing himself between his daughter and a wizard he could not hope to beat if it came down to a fight. Had that been a call to vengeance for Malfoy?

Draco had never been pleasant, with his self righteous pure-blood snobbishness. He had called Hermione a fair number of names to her face and she was certain there had been even more and worse behind her back. But would he do something like this, murder another human being just for the sake of making a statement about the superiority of Pureblood wizards?

Sighing, she realized that Draco would have been at Hogwarts when this happened. If his father had anything to do with it, she couldn't blame his son.

She missed Ron already. It had been bad enough that they were worrying about Harry, but now she was separated from Ron, too. She hoped that he would be allowed to come here, since it was his home. She was glad to be with his mum and dad, but she needed him too.

The water was cooling off and she lacked the energy to cast a rewarming charm on it. Getting up, she dried off and tied the robe around her, glad that it was an over sized plush one that felt like being surrounded by a cloud. She made herself drink half the cold tea so Molly wouldn't worry so much about her leaving it.

Molly bustled upstairs and had Hermione in bed in no time, tipping the sleeping potion into her mouth as if she were a small child. "Tomorrow, we'll help you decide what you want to do about services. Don't worry about where you'll stay during breaks; Arthur and I have already decided that you'll be like a daughter to us, if that is what you want." She looked carefully, not expecting an answer, but because she wanted to make sure Hermione wouldn't worry about something like where she belonged now.

Hermione felt the sleeping potion beginning to work and she reached out to take one of Molly's hands in hers. "Thank you for taking care of me, Mrs. Weasley. I would have been so lost without you … I can't repay you …"

"Sh-sh-sh … there's no need, dear. You've been like our own all the times you've been here. Just rest, and lean on us."

Hermione's eyes closed and she fell into a sleep that managed to be dreamless and restful.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO


	8. Chapter 8

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

**Chapter 8**

Harry could not find the energy to do much when he finally dragged himself off of the settee. His sleep had been broken by dreams of Ellen and Martin Granger, smiling at them at the dinners, over games; Ellen hugging him, Martin clapping him on the back, treating him like a person who mattered. He woke up in a sweat, after seeing their accusing faces; Ellen whispering,

"If only you had told us … Hermione wouldn't be orphaned … we would still be alive …"

"If only I had …" he thought. "If I had just told Ron and Hermione, they would've thought to warn her parents, maybe … and maybe the house would've been empty when the Death Eaters arrived …"

He stood up and opened the stained glass window. Dawn was creeping over the trees; beams of sunlight shining through branches to light up dew-covered grass. Harry leaned on his elbows on the window sill. He needed to see Ron.

Pulling on the Invisibility cloak, he picked up the Marauders Map and made his way to Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady looked puzzled at the password being whispered by nobody, but she sleepily opened the portrait hole and Harry climbed through.

The common room was empty and Harry made his way up to the boys dormitory. Ron was snoring softly and Harry cast a silencing charm before closing Ron's bed hangings behind himself.

Reaching out, he gave Ron a shake. "Hey, Ron, wake up."

Ron grumbled into his pillow, but as soon as he cracked open an eye and saw Harry, he sat up quickly. "Harry! What are you doing here? Are you staying?"

Harry shook his head and sighed heavily. "I just needed to see you for a minute. I –"

His voice broke and the emotions he had kept in check began to overwhelm him. Ron grabbed him and pulled him into a fierce hug.

"Why do you always try to get through stuff on your own? I'm your best friend and I want to help you like a friend should. We should be together at times like this."

Harry held onto Ron just as tightly and let his tears fall, knowing the redhead would not think him weak for crying.

After a few minutes, Harry sat back. Before he could stop himself, he blurted, "It's my fault they were killed."

"How do you figure that, Harry?"

He stared at Ron, biting his lip. Snape would be so mad if Harry told anybody about the dream. But this was Ron, not just anybody. He needed to tell somebody. "I had a dream about it."

"Your dreams from Vol- _him_, have always been as things were happening, mate. If you dreamed this, you couldn't have stopped it. You know that, don't you?"

Harry said softly, "I dreamed it right before we came back to school, that night at Hermione's"

Ron looked astounded for some seconds before asking, "Why didn't you say anything? I knew something had happened. That nightmare gave us all a fright."

"We thought it was just a plain nightmare. My scar didn't hurt, and Snape said it wasn't likely that I would suddenly start having premonitions."

Ron had a variety of expressions crossing his face. On the one hand, he didn't want to blame Harry. On the other hand, his dislike for Snape had him instantly wanting to attack the man's obviously wrong assumption. But he knew how Harry's relationship with Snape had evolved and he didn't want to damage that.

Finally, he settled for asking, "So what happened that Snape wound up on the floor that night?"

Harry felt some relief that Ron had steered away from placing any blame on him and he shrugged. "Wandless magic. I was still mostly asleep and he startled me when he touched me. When I realized it was just him he was already flying across the room."

Ron gave a low whistle. "Wow, Harry. That's a bit more than just making a toy hover around the room."

"Yeah, well I've got it under better control now."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "You've been practicing?"

At Harry's nod, Ron said, "Show me?"

Harry looked around and with a wave he opened the bed hangings. He saw his own trunk still sitting at the foot of the bed he used to occupy. Waving his hand again, he levitated it over to Ron's bed and set it down without it making a sound.

Ron gave a low whistle. "Wordless too, I see. Very cool. Is that what you've been doing where ever it is that you're staying?"

Harry nodded. "I'm ahead in everything, I think. Except potions. I can't very well brew any where I am. But I've been doing all the readings and essays." He looked at Ron sadly. "I wish I could come back."

"Then do it. Why can't you?" Ron looked confused.

"I can't be around all the people, all the expectations. Everyone expects me to be perfect, and I'm just a scared kid."

They looked over as Dean stirred; Harry suddenly afraid that he would be stuck here again. He pulled the Invisibility cloak around his shoulders until only his head was seen floating next to Ron.

Ron took hold of his arm. "I don't expect you to be perfect, and neither does Hermione. No matter what you think, I think Snape was right. There was no way for you to know if the dream was just a bad one or a premonition. You can't beat yourself up about that."

Harry felt a deep gratitude for his friend's words. He smiled briefly and murmured a quiet thanks. Getting up, he rummaged quickly in his trunk for some clothes, his book, _Quidditch Through The Ages_, and a few other odds and ends. Smoothing the cover of the book, he looked up at Ron.

"Sorry about not being here for the team. I want you to use my broom. I don't need it right now, and I'll feel like I'm helping a little if you have a faster ride."

Ron looked like he would refuse but the look on Harry's face stopped him. He nodded. "I'll take good care of it. Don't worry."

Harry stood up and looked over at the still-sleeping room mates. Levitating the trunk, he moved it back into place. Turning to Ron, he said quietly, "Give 'Mione a really big hug from me, okay? Don't tell her about the dream. I can't think that it would help her any."

Ron nodded. "I should hear sometime today what she'll do about the services. I'll send an owl so you'll know."

Harry nodded solemnly. He turned away to leave and then heard Ron whisper, "Wait!"

He looked where Ron was suddenly putting some things into a bag. "Take this stuff. I don't know what you're eating, but it can't be all that much. You feel too thin."

Harry watched his friend stuffing bottles of Butterbeer and bars of chocolate into the bag, along with a bunch of fruit. When he saw Harry's raised eyebrows, he blushed. "You know I like to eat, mate. This is my private stash. I'll replace it next Hogsmeade visit, or when I get to the Burrow over the next few days."

Handing it to Harry, he added, "We weren't sending anything like this because Dumbledore thought it would encourage you to stay away. But now that I've seen you, I know sort of why you're doing it. I'll send you more when I can."

Harry gave Ron another hard hug and then pulled the cloak over his head. He followed Ron down the stairs. A couple of older students were already in the common room and Ron went to the portrait hole to open it. Holding it, he felt Harry brush by him, whispering, "Thanks, Ron. You're the best." He reached out and patted the back under the cloak. Then Harry was gone.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Snape conjured a sofa and sat down in front of the fire. Another flick of his wand produced a table and then another wave brought forth a full bottle of Firewhiskey. Shrugging out of his robes, he dropped them carelessly onto the back of the sofa before sitting down.

The flat was not as dark as he would have liked, but it had the advantage of being away from Hogwarts. The only people who had been there were Harry and Dumbledore. He didn't think either of them would be paying him a visit. If they even guessed that he had kept the flat after the summer was over, they would probably avoid trying to see him there. Harry had said he didn't want to speak to him and Snape was certain that he would never give him the opportunity to explain why he had done what he had. Dumbledore understood, but he knew Snape well enough to realize that he needed some time to come to terms with it. This was not like all the other 'duties' Snape had been performing since he turned spy. This had been personal and devastating.

He opened the bottle and looked at it with narrowed eyes before turning it up and drinking directly from it. Wincing at the burn of the whiskey, he turned his thoughts to Martin Granger. Even as he allowed the friendship to develop, he had wondered if it was wise. Even now, after it was over, he was amazed that he had been friends with Muggles, and those Muggles were the parents of a student that had always irritated him with her know-it-all attitude, and her persistence with being at the top of every class she took.

At first, when the chance to get to know the Grangers presented itself, he had done it to prepare himself for teaching in Muggle summer school. He had been fascinated by them and then even more intrigued because they were so very different as parents from the wizarding families he knew well, like the Malfoys. They were warm where the Malfoys were cold. They were careful with the feelings of their daughter and her friends, where the Malfoys were demanding and calculating, concerned with appearances more than what their child really needed.

He knew that he could not stay here. He had his Head of House duties and teaching duties as well. This was merely a way of getting some breathing space; a way to think things through.

What was done was done. He had done what he had to, both as a Death Eater and a friend. Harry would eventually give him the chance to explain that … wouldn't he?

He cursed at the additional sense of loss he felt. Already, Harry had run away from his overbearing control. He was in no position to ask more of him now.

He closed his eyes and leaned back against the sofa. He saw Ellen Granger's surprised face when she knew it was him looming over her, when she heard him ask for forgiveness. Could he have made a different choice? If he had not killed her outright, the rest of them would have torn her to bits, starting with Malfoy. He had understood from looking into Martin's eyes that he was counting on Snape to rescue her. A quick death had been the only rescue possible. Now he could add that memory to the nightmares from his past. One more black notch to eat away at whatever soul he had left.

He must have dozed off, in spite of the haunting visions of Ellen and Martin lying side by side on their living room floor. The fire flaring green startled him and he stood, drawing his wand automatically.

Dumbledore's face was in the flames and Snape snarled with aggravation. The blue eyes were sad, but the Headmaster spoke anyway. "I thought that you might be here. The services for the Grangers have been set."

Snape gaped at him. "You cannot possibly be telling me this because you expect me to attend."

"Under the circumstances, I feel that all the Heads of House should attend. There must be a show of unity from Hogwarts."

"I will not, Albus. If I am seen by other Death Eaters, I may be seen to be sympathetic and a traitor to the Dark Lord." He put his wand away and took a drink out of the bottle.

Dumbledore gazed silently up at him for a moment. "I suggest Polyjuice then. You can attend and no one will suspect you."

"Why are you forcing this? I do not wish to attend." He paced the room, casting a glare at the fire.

"Muggle funerals offer an opportunity for closure. I feel that you need that opportunity. I must insist." The blue eyes looked full of resolve when he added, "You choose who you will go as, or I will."

With that, he left a fuming Snape to swallow more of the Firewhiskey as he cursed loudly at the departed Headmaster. It would be unendurable. The thought alone was disgusting. He had been to one other Muggle funeral service and it had taken years to get it out of his mind. Although he had been a young boy, the experience had lost none of its power to cause him a grimacing shiver.

"_Severus, you must give Grandmere a kiss before they close the casket."_

"_No, mum, I don't want to."_

"_Your father will be angry if you don't … please, sweetie, do it for mummy?"_

_Severus walked slowly past all the weepy people and stared into the casket that held his grandmother. He could barely see her over the edge. How was he supposed to reach her to kiss her? As if knowing his thoughts, his father came up behind him. Severus stiffened as the brawny arms swept him up. He could smell the whiskey on the breath next to his ear. _

"_That's a good lad, give her a last kiss." The arms pressed him forward, leaning him into the casket. Severus was just about to lean closer and get it over with as quickly as possible when his father stumbled, spilling him headlong on top of his grandmother's body. _

_Severus had let out a blood-curdling scream, making a mad scramble to leap back out. His father grabbed hold of him, yelling, "Kiss her, you brat! You better do it!"_

_Severus forced his way out of the man's grip and jumped out. His feet barely hit the floor before he was running out of the little church, leaving behind gaping mourners and a drunken father._

_The beating that night had been severe. Severus had not been able to sit at the table for a week, and it was longer before he could lay on his back to sleep again. The feel of his grandmother's cold, papery skin had been burned into his memory, apparently branded there by the buggy reins his father had used on him._

Heaving a deep breath, he knew he would have to do as the Headmaster wished. The Order members and faculty of Hogwarts would know he was present, even if he looked like someone else. This would be a rallying point for many; there would be a cry to arms now that the family of a Muggleborn had been targeted in earnest. Besides which, there where many who still questioned his loyalties, and if it was said that he did not attend freely, they would doubt him even more.

_Rightfully so_, a voice in his head said softly.

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_A/N: I know this was a short chapter, but I promise at least one more over the weekend. Next week is Spring Break here, so I should get a few out then!_

_Thanks again for all your reviews and kind words regarding the story!_


	9. Chapter 9

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

**Chapter 9**

Draco found that it was not easy to avoid his housemates. They were determined to celebrate and equally determined that Draco would be at the center of it. He had used every excuse to keep from helping plan the party that was scheduled to coincide with the funeral of the Grangers. Finally, he just pushed Pansy aside when she grabbed his arm to pull him to a table where lists of decorations and refreshments were being compiled.

"This is sick, even for Slytherins. I am not going to be a part of it. If you must behave in such a juvenile way, leave me out of it." He started up the stairs to the boys dormitory but was stopped by Pansy's hard voice.

"Draco, this is the beginning of a lot of celebrations. Your own father is probably having a party at your mansion tomorrow. It would be awful if he heard that his son was shirking his Slytherin duty, as well as looking as if he disapproved of showing loyalty to our side."

Draco paused to give her a snarling expression, but continued on up to his room. He had no intention of giving in to her blackmail. He took a long, hot shower, feeling a need to scald away the slimy veneer of pureblooded self-righteousness. Slicking his hair back, he pulled a heavy cloak around himself and walked back into the common room.

Pansy brightened. "I knew you'd change your mind. Come and join us."

He gazed at her coolly for a long moment. "I will … celebrate … in my own way. Enjoy yourselves." He swept out of the doors to Slytherin House, aware that they were all staring after him, unsure if he was mocking or serious. He knew that he did not dare to be any ruder than he already had. It wouldn't do for his father to become suspicious of his son's leanings before he himself was sure of what they were. When it came to it, he would be able to say he deplored their childish ways of celebrating and chose to contemplate the event in a more mature way. Surely his father would not find fault with that …

Walking quickly, he made his way through the castle, taking numerous twists and turns. The Slytherin in him was certain that Pansy would have him followed. His goal was to make them believe that he was simply roaming the halls. He sensed the student shadowing him for over a half hour before they gave up the pursuit.

He wound up climbing the stairs to the Astronomy Tower. Out on the open battlement, he breathed in the evening air. Where had the day gone? It had seemed to be moving so slowly, and now, here towards sunset, it seemed like the day had sped by.

Glad for his heavy cloak, he sat against the wall, wrapping it around himself. Out here, he felt removed from all the ugliness and the push to make an overt stand for the Dark Lord. The time was coming closer, he knew it, when he would have to make a declaration. He knew that he did not want to make the expected declaration, but he didn't know if he had the courage to do otherwise. The sensation of falling into an abyss was almost overwhelming.

He pulled his wand and waved it at the doorway to the tower, not wanting to be joined by anyone, let alone some snogging couple looking for privacy. The Astronomy Tower was a popular meeting place for dates, and he really didn't want to leave to find another place of his own. His own locking spells were quite strong and he knew that no student would be able to get past it.

So, he sat; staring up at the sky as it changed colors from late afternoon, early evening, dusk, and then nightfall. The door was tried many times, but whoever was on the other side always met with failure when they attempted entry and they soon went away.

It was midnight when the door opened and Draco started. He saw it standing open and then slowly close again. Then he heard the locks turning, securing it against further entrance. With narrowed eyes he swept the area. Finally, he leaned his head back with a heavy sigh.

"I know it's you, Potter. I just don't know how you got past my locking spell; no one has before."

There was silence for a long time and Draco wondered if he had been mistaken in thinking it was Potter. After all, no one had seen him in weeks. For all he knew, the Golden Boy was not even at Hogwarts. Lucius had asked, but Draco had honestly been clueless as to where or why Harry Potter had gone.

A soft rustle of cloth sounded to his right and he focused impassive eyes on Harry when he pulled the Invisibility Cloak from over his head. He was sitting a few yards away, but wasn't tense or wary appearing. In fact, he looked to be feeling as morose as Draco did. He kept his green eyes steady on Draco's for a long moment and Draco was surprised to feel a touch of Legilimency. It was a gentle probing, very unlike the kind his father ruthlessly employed whenever he felt Draco might be keeping secrets, but a probing nonetheless. Was it his imagination, or did Potter actually know how to see into his mind?

"Your locking spell is good against students, maybe even most teachers. I hope you don't mind me coming up here. I needed to be in the open and this is the best place." Harry waited for Draco to respond.

"It doesn't look as if you'll actually leave if I say I do mind, so I suppose I'll just have to bear it." He sounded pompous to his own ears and was surprised to feel dismay at that.

Harry sat for a long time just looking up into the sky silently. Draco relaxed when it looked like Harry wasn't looking for a confrontation.

Harry broke the silence by asking, "I would have thought your house would be having some sort of party. Did you leave early?"

"I didn't go. I couldn't stomach it." Draco kept his eyes on the sky. He could see Harry looking at him out the corner of his vision. He felt compelled to explain. "It's ghoulish to celebrate the death of a student's parents, even if they were Muggles."

Harry took a deep breath. "Hermione's parents were great people. They were nice, caring, and they shouldn't have had to die like they did."

"Potter, no one should die like they did, unless it happens to the ones who caused it." He looked at Harry in surprise, hearing those harsh words come out of his own mouth. Harry looked surprised too, but he didn't dispute Draco's sincerity.

Draco sat forward and blurted, "My father is a Death Eater."

Harry shrugged off his surprised expression and answered, "I know. He made sure I saw his face in the graveyard when Voldemort came back last year. I've seen him in his Death Eater best."

Draco looked confused. "But you've never said anything. You could have used that to get at me some way, blackmail, or – or something."

"That's not the way I am, though. It isn't something I'd be proud of if it was my father." He considered Draco for a moment. "I thought _you_ would be proud of your father, actually. Mentioning that he was a Death Eater would have given you an opportunity to brag."

Draco snorted. "Brag? About that? Please, don't make me sick. My father is a monster. Any bragging I do is purely for self-preservation."

Harry now looked disbelieving. "Don't you want to be like him? I thought all Slytherin purebloods wanted to follow in their parents footsteps."

"Well, you thought wrong, Potter." Draco hugged his knees, rocking a bit. He knew he was giving Harry a weapon by making such an admission. "I want to be my own man, not a puppet like him; not bowing to an evil snake."

Harry hugged his own knees, leaning his head down to rest his chin on them. "Why are you telling me this?"

The quiet drew out but they both had time to wait, and think. The ground being tested was shaky, and neither of them knew what they wanted to share, but they wanted to know what the other was thinking.

Draco spoke softly when he finally did, and Harry had to lean toward him to hear. "My dear father expects that the death of Granger's parents will force her to leave Hogwarts. In turn, I will become the top student, as he feels it is my right." He stopped to gauge Harry's reaction to this. When Harry didn't say anything, he continued, "I am supposed to be grateful that he has seen fit to pave my way to academic greatness. In turn, he expects me to become the youngest Death Eater to serve the Dark Lord."

Harry stared at Draco's bowed head for a long time. Draco waited in the silence and when he raised his head he expected to see anger and revulsion. Instead, he met a face shadowed with concern. Harry asked, "What are you going to do?"

"A while back I spoke to Severus. He said I should follow my heart. It's his way of saying I shouldn't do it."

Harry remembered when he had seen the two on the Marauders Map, when it had seemed that Snape had given Draco a quick hug. Was that when Draco had been talking to him about this? He found that he couldn't be jealous if Snape was trying to keep Draco from making a huge mistake.

"He really cares for you, Malfoy. You should listen to him."

"I know that." Draco glared at him for a moment before his eyes softened again. "He cares more than my own flesh and blood does."

The boys sat quiet for another long time, growing more comfortable with each other being there. Harry decided to tell Draco something of himself, kind of a gesture to say that he would keep Draco's confidence.

"My family hates me."

Draco's head shot up at that and he spat, "Give me a break, Potter. Like I would believe that the Golden Boy has troubles at home. What, they don't give you enough attention, so they must hate you?"

Harry's mouth dropped open and it was his turn to be furious. "I thought you got it when we talked after that last Quidditch game. I _hate_ being fawned over and thought of in those terms." He glared back at Draco, keeping his eyes locked with the grey ones. "My family hates me because I'm a wizard. They hate everything to do with magic. They treat me like a slave, call me a freak, starve me and beat me."

Draco's mouth was fixed in a thin disbelieving line. Clearly, he had trouble believing Harry. Harry took a great risk then. "Ask Severus if you need to. He can tell you how he found me this last summer, almost dead, locked in the cupboard after my drunk uncle beat me half to death."

At the mention of Snape's name, Draco sat back. He knew that Harry wouldn't say that Snape had that information if he didn't. "How did he find you?"

Harry shrugged, unwilling to tell about their mental connection, not wanting to give Draco too much, in case he did turn Death Eater. "I don't know. I'm just glad he did, or I wouldn't be here now."

Draco looked at him piercingly, then asked, "That scar on your neck, did you get that from your uncle then?"

Harry reached up to trace the thin line that still showed from ear to ear under his jaw. "No. This one was from a deranged Muggle teenager who tried to kill me."

"Bloody hell, Potter!" Draco sputtered. "I would think that you had enough to do without going after Muggle bullies."

"He came after Severus and I tried to get between them. My mistake nearly cost me my life. Severus saved me then, too." Harry kept his eyes on Draco, assessing his response.

Draco kept his eyes on Harry, too, thinking about what he had said. Finally he asked, "You were trying to keep the Muggle from attacking Severus?" At Harry's nod he continued, "Why didn't you – better yet, why didn't _he_ just hex the git?"

"We were in Muggle surroundings … couldn't use magic." Harry thought about how he hadn't even wanted to admit that he was a wizard at the time of the attack. Draco was sure to think he was loony if he tried to explain that.

Draco seemed to realize that there was more to the story but he didn't ask. They fell into silence again, both of them lost in their own thoughts. When Draco spoke, it was quietly. "I thought that you and Severus must be friendlier than either of you let on. How long has that been going on?" There was just a touch of jealousy in his tone, but Harry understood the feeling well, since he felt much the same way about Draco being Severus's godson.

"Just since last spring. Believe me, we're both just as shocked to be able to tolerate each other as you are." He leaned his head back down on his knees, remembering their current state of non-communication. "Right now, we aren't on good terms. He was trying to manage my study schedule and I decided to leave."

Draco looked impressed. "So being Harry Potter does have the advantage of being allowed to skip classes however long you want."

"I'm keeping up. Ron and Hermione owl the assignments to me and I send them back for them to turn in."

"But still, how can you do the practical parts?" Draco asked curiously.

Harry shrugged. "Potions and Herbology are probably way behind there, I guess. But I do alright in Defense, Charms and Transfiguration."

"How do you know? If you're off by yourself, how do you know you're doing them correctly?"

"Because they work." Harry stood then, letting his cloak fall to pool at his feet. Draco stood too and they faced each other. Harry looked at him levelly. "Test me. See if I can do what you've been learning in class."

Draco looked at him doubtfully. "Are you trying to get me to hurt you? You want me to lose House points if someone finds out we're dueling outside of class."

Harry shook his head. "No. Just do it. Test me." He held himself ready, but relaxed. Draco noticed that he had not drawn his wand.

Harry still didn't draw his wand after Draco drew his, and Draco narrowed his eyes. Taking a deep breath he started saying, "_Petrificus To_-"

Before the entire spell even left his lips, Harry was holding his wand. Draco looked down at his empty hand and then at his wand in Harry's hand. "How did you do that? Where's your wand? You didn't counter my spell …"

Harry walked forward and handed Draco back his wand. Only then did his eyes leave Draco's. He turned to an unlit torch on the castle wall and with a quick flick of his hand it was aflame. Another flick and it was out again, and then relit. He turned back to Draco, not saying anything to his surprised look.

Draco raised his eyebrows and raised his wand. "Now that I know to expect the unexpected, let's try it again." He began to volley spells and hexes in rapid-fire toward Harry.

Harry repelled, avoided, and countered every one, all without his wand, and seeming to barely move his hand. He never said a word.

Draco was panting with his own efforts when he finally stopped. He stood leaning with his hands down on his thighs as he regained his breath. "I would say you're way ahead of everyone in the practical magic department. How long have you been able to do it wandless, and Merlin! You can do it wordless, too!" The realization seemed to hit him all at once and he put his hands in his hair. "That was bloody brilliant, Potter!"

Harry looked astonished at this totally unexpected praise from Draco Malfoy. When the look of delighted amazement stayed on Draco's face, he allowed himself a small smile.

"Just since this past summer. Lots of … stuff … happened. When it all started to clear, I was able to do it a little. Since I've been in hiding I've been practicing every day." He walked back over to the wall and sat, pulling the cloak over his legs.

Draco sat back down and asked, "So where have you been? Why haven't they made you come back?"

"They know I need the time … the space to think. The ghosts keep me company." He looked at Draco. "Even the Bloody Baron comes and helps me with duel practice."

Draco frowned. "You didn't answer the question, Potter. Where have you been? Why are they letting you do this?"

Harry sighed in resignation. "The castle is a really big place. They don't know where I go or I think they would have paid me a visit by now. Why they're letting me is a harder question to answer." He thought for a bit before continuing. "I hate being the Boy Who Lived, but I have to admit that it probably gives me a little leverage when things get wonky. It was an awful summer and school didn't start out so well either. I think they are just happy that I ran away and stayed inside Hogwarts. If I had left, they would've come after me. The ghosts are probably giving Dumbledore all the information he needs about me."

He stared in the darkness towards Draco and asked, "Do you want me to tell you honestly?" He barely saw Draco nod. "I wasn't myself most of the summer. I wouldn't do magic at all and I couldn't talk to anyone except Severus. I think they're afraid if they push too hard, I'll lose it again. The next time, I might not get better. Next time … might be the last time …"

Draco peered at him with narrowed eyes. "What happened to you? I thought Harry Potter was indestructible."

Harry gave a humorless chuckle. "That's one of those pesky expectations that I have to try and live up to. I'm supposed to be able to stand and take whatever hell Voldemort thinks up. I'm supposed to be strong enough to survive until the day I'm supposed to take him down. I'm supposed to just accept this and deal with it. I'm _not_ supposed to voice my reluctance or fears. That part is supposed to be buried deep where the wizarding public can't see it. Their boy hero has to be faultless; their safety assured."

The torch on the wall flared blindingly bright and exploded, leaving them in darkness that seemed even deeper after the flash of light. Draco jumped, startled to feel the crackling of magic still extending from Harry to include the area where Draco sat. Gradually it diminished, and the hair on Draco's arms lay down again.

In a sudden rush of thought, he realized that he and Harry were very similar in many respects. He, too, was burdened with expectations that weighed heavy on his shoulders. Although, he admitted to himself, no one expected him to save their whole world from ruin by an evil monster.

He laughed lightly and Harry looked at him in the dark. His green eyes were almost glowing in the starlight. Draco said, "You win, Potter. I was going to say that people expect hard things from me too. But then I realized that my father and the whole of Slytherin House don't add up to as many as the ones watching you. I'm just expected to do my duty to my family, and by example lead my house into service for the evil bastard."

Harry grinned and said, "But you won't. You know it's wrong and you'll do the right thing for yourself, and the right thing for your house."

Draco immediately sobered at that. After a few moments he muttered, "I'm not as strong as you are. If I renounce the Dark Lord, my father will stop at nothing to see me dead. At the very least I'll be disowned. My life will be worth only as much as the reward he puts up for my painful death."

Harry asked softly, "So you'll just keep on sniping at Gryffindors, spreading hate between the houses, pretending you're one of them right up to the end?"

Draco maintained his silence, wanting to yell at Potter that he didn't know what he was talking about. He wanted to find his comfort zone again, feel like he was in charge of what was happening to him. But he knew Harry was right. If he didn't jump over to the side of the Light, he would be stuck baiting Gryffindors, and spreading hate, just like he said.

Harry let the silence extend to more than a half hour as they both sat still in their own miseries. Coming to a decision, he said calmly, "If you decide to walk away from them, I'll do whatever it takes to protect you."

"Can you guarantee my life, tell me that no junior Death Eaters will try and slit my throat in the middle of the night?" He stared hard through the darkness, wondering if Harry would lie to get his loyalty.

When Harry answered, his voice was soft, but filled with certainty. "I won't make a promise I can't keep. I can't even guarantee to make it through tonight. But I'll do my best for you, just like I will for all my friends."

Draco heard the soft swish of cloth and when he tried to see Harry he realized that he had pulled on the Invisibility Cloak. The door to the Astronomy Tower opened and closed softly and Draco was alone.

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	10. Chapter 10

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

**Chapter 10**

Snape traveled by Hogwarts Express to London with Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout. They knew it was him, but to everyone else, he was Remus Lupin. The ready supply of Polyjuice Potion kept by The Order had been used to transform him so he would be able to attend the Granger's funeral without attracting attention from any hovering Death Eaters. After discussing it with Dumbledore, they had agreed that it was likely that one or more would come, just to enjoy the sorrows and grief of the attendees.

They had all dressed in Muggle attire with Snape's help. He thought how ironic it was that he was now such an expert at it, after he had learned what he knew from the Trio and the Grangers. Sitting there on the train he felt a wave of regret that he would never have another chance to telephone Martin Granger and ask him some inane question concerning Muggle culture. He would never again be able to meet up with him in a remote pub and play chess while drinking the curiously delicious Muggle scotch. He doubted he would ever feel as free to be himself with any other man, Muggle or wizard.

Thinking about Ellen Granger, his Lupin face must have paled, because McGonagall sat forward in concern.

"Are you alright?" Her eyes were piercing and Snape wondered for a moment if Dumbledore had disclosed some of the uglier details to her about the Granger's demise. Then he thought that she wouldn't be concerned at all about him. She would be livid and outraged that he was coming to their funeral.

"I am fine. It's just uncomfortable being in this body. I think you know how much I detest it," he groused.

"It was the only one that would be acceptable. Lupin has been a friend to Hermione and a professor. He is representing Potter, who Dumbledore won't let come. His presence won't be suspect." Her voice had the patient tone used to explain things to a young child.

Snape threw a snarl at her that felt very natural coming from the werewolf's throat. "You needn't explain it to me again, Minerva. I do understand the Headmaster's reasoning."

She pursed her lips at his tone and sat back stiffly. It was disconcerting to hear the words and see the mannerisms of Snape coming from the form of Lupin. But from past experience, she knew that Snape would pull together a believable act once they were among others.

She knew he wasn't looking forward to this ordeal any more than the rest of them. Muggle funerals were notoriously depressing and maudlin. She had read that they sometimes lasted hours. It was a good thing that they would have the distraction of keeping a watchful eye over the people who attended the service. She cared for Hermione Granger, and she was sorry for her loss and for what it meant to the war. But she was still anxious to get this over with and get back to the safety of Hogwarts.

Once they arrived, they found Arthur Weasley at the platform, waiting. A ministry car had been secured for them to travel to the church in. Once they were comfortably seated, it squeezed through the London traffic easily and they arrived a half hour before the service was to start.

They were all surprised to see that a lot of people were already there. Molly Weasley saw them and hurried over. "This is a visitation time. People who knew Hermione's parents can come early and have a chance to speak to her about them." At their looks of dismay, she hurriedly said, "You aren't expected to say anything to her. She knows that you'll be here, and that's enough. The Muggles are the ones who need this time. Closure, they call it." She pointed to where Hermione stood with several older people. She was dressed in somber Muggle clothing and it was a stark contrast to her pale skin. She looked calm and stood tall as she listened to those people near her.

McGonagall gave a look to the others that sent them going separate ways to establish a perimeter. She walked slowly towards Hermione, hoping that whatever she said would be the right thing.

Hermione glanced over and saw her professor approaching. A grief-filled smile broke out on her face and in a moment she had put her arms around McGonagall. McGonagall held her tightly, feeling the trembling sobs. When she finally stepped back, she wiped at her eyes with a crumpled handkerchief. "I was afraid no one from Hogwarts would be coming … I didn't know how wizards usually responded to something like this … what the proper protocol should be …"

McGonagall halted her rambling with another hug and whispered, "There are a few of us here, dear. Don't worry about protocol. This is your time to grieve, and it should be done as you feel comfortable. Your parents being Muggle does not make them any less important. They brought a delightful young witch into our world and we will show them respect for that." She leaned back to smooth Hermione's hair and smile gently at her.

Hermione smiled tearfully and nodded. "Thank you, Professor." Then looking around, she asked, "Who else came?"

"Professors Flitwick, Sprout, and Lupin are here. They are helping establish a protective perimeter at the moment," she explained.

Hermione looked worried at this. "Why do we need that? Do you expect trouble? Maybe I should cancel the service …"

Shaking her head, McGonagall squeezed her arm comfortingly. "It's alright, Hermione. We're just being cautious."

Hermione smiled again and another couple of Muggle acquaintances drew her attention away. McGonagall took the moment to casually observe the room. Dumbledore was counting on her to be on her toes. He had not been sure how many Aurors might be sent. The Ministry had been reluctant to see that this incident was more important than other Muggle attacks by Death Eaters. Aurors couldn't possibly attend every Muggle funeral held when Death Eaters had been so active in their revels.

She saw Flitwick and he gave her a nod to show that he had done his part. Some of the Muggles were looking at the diminutive man curiously, but then after greeting him, they engaged him in general conversation. The professors were telling people that they were teachers at Hermione's boarding school, here to lend her their support.

McGonagall searched for the other two professors and finally found them standing together near the back of the church. They were scanning the crowd closely, while giving nods to those who greeted them. She started when Molly appeared at her elbow.

The red haired woman spoke softly, "Hermione didn't know if anyone would come from Hogwarts, but she wanted me to ask you to sit with her if you did."

McGonagall looked surprised. "You mean she wants me to sit with her at the actual service? I thought that you and Arthur and Ron would be sitting with her."

Molly nodded. "Yes, we will, but there are no other family members. It was just Hermione and her parents. Over the last few days, she has said that Hogwarts was her home now; the teachers and students her family. She needs us to be beside her, Minerva. Will you tell the others?"

"I will, but I can't think that Sn- Lupin will do it. The man has been surly ever since we left."

Molly merely nodded her understanding and then bustled away again. The beginning strains of organ music could be heard and people were starting to drift towards the rows of pews. At the front of the church, two caskets stood side by side, closed and draped with floral arrangements.

McGonagall beckoned to the other professors and they came over to her. When she explained what Hermione wanted, Flitwick and Sprout gave ready agreement. Snape in his Lupin form frowned and shook his head. Sprout and McGonagall each took one of his arms as if he were escorting them and led him to where Molly, Arthur and Ron were standing with Hermione.

Once the rest of the mourners were seated, the organ music changed to another song. This seemed to be the signal for the family to be seated, because Hermione began a slow walk down the aisle, Molly and Arthur on either side of her and Ron walking with his head bowed behind them. McGonagall and Sprout kept hold of Snape when he tried to ease out of their grip. Flitwick walked behind them as they followed towards seats at the front, directly in front of the twin caskets. The teachers sat in the pew right behind Hermione and the Weasleys. Snape sat stiffly, and took a deep breath once he realized that he had been holding it for quite a few moments. In front of him, Arthur had allowed Ron to sit next to Hermione and he put his arm around her shoulders.

Thankfully, the service was not a long one. There was a minister who spoke of the Grangers being active in their church and community, being members of a dental society, and often doing work for battered women and children for free. Snape remembered how Ellen had had mentioned working at a shelter and he knew that her compassion had helped many get through difficult times. Martin had often spoken of her with admiration, along with his undying love. They had been soulmates. Snape brought his attention back to the ministers words of comfort for Hermione. He saw her shoulders shaking under Ron's arm.

The minister recognized the teachers who had come from Hermione's boarding school, thanking them for their support of the girl, who had been left without parents or family. After some more music, the readings of some scripture, and a prayer, the service had come to an end.

Snape breathed a sigh of relief then. So this would be nothing like what he had remembered from his own childhood. No screams or wailing. No kisses goodbye. _No beating._

Everyone stood up at the end and began milling around again. Hermione was given quick hugs by people who had been neighbors and friends of her parents and then they were alone. The wizards all stood silent as she walked up to the caskets. Standing between them, she put a hand on each. Her mouth was moving; her words silent, as she said her last goodbyes to Ellen and Martin.

She turned to face them all at last. "Thank you for coming and being here with me. I know it wasn't easy, being here among all the Muggles and enduring a Muggle service. I'm ready to come home to Hogwarts now." Her eyes filled with tears and Molly rushed forward to sweep her into an embrace.

"No hurry, dear. You can stay at The Burrow for a bit longer, get yourself sorted out. I'm sure you can easily catch up and your professors will help you."

Flitwick, McGonagall, and Sprout all nodded their agreement. Hermione smiled through her tears and came forward to hug each of them. When she got to Snape, she hugged him tightly. "I know you came in Harry's place, Professor. Thank you. If you see him before I do, let him know that I understand why he couldn't be here. Mum and Dad would've understood too."

Somehow, Snape forced his Lupin lips to smile kindly at her and murmur a quiet condolence before he turned away. The air inside the church was suddenly stifling and he needed to get away from the sight of the caskets; the reminders of what he had done.

The others didn't seem to notice that he walked out the doors as they continued to talk quietly about when Hermione could come back to school. Snape sat down on a low stone wall outside the church and worked to get the accusing voices out of his head. _'You left a young girl without a family … in fact, you cold-bloodedly killed her mother … how they would all hate you if they only knew the truth … but wait, they already do hate you, don't they?… They all know what you are, what you really are, and when they find out what you've done, they will get you in Azkaban so fast … you are a Death Eater, no matter how you try to hide behind your role as spy for Dumbledore: the fact remains that you have done despicable and unforgivable acts …'_

"Professor?"

Snape looked up into Ron's questioning face and realized that he had been trying to get his attention for a few moments. "Yes, Mr. Weasley?" His tone of voice and the expression on his face told Ron immediately that he wasn't really Lupin.

"Professor Snape, then? I didn't realize until now. I thought you had decided not to represent Slytherin." He sat down several feet away from Snape on the same wall. Snape regarded him from behind golden brown eyes.

"It would have been inadvisable for me to come as myself. Other Death Eaters might be present to spy out who comes to the funeral of Muggles who welcomed Harry Potter into their home."

They sat silently for a while and then Snape asked quietly, "Have you been in contact with Harry?"

Ron looked at him, surprised at the concerned tone. "Yes. I saw him the other day. He came to the dorm to get some of his stuff. We talked for a bit and I gave him some food."

Lupin's face grew clouded. "He hasn't been eating?"

Ron shrugged. "What would he eat where he is? He said he had been transfiguring old books into bread. He seemed pretty glad to get some sweets and fruit, but the most amazing thing is the other stuff he can do."

"Tell me." Lupin sounded almost anxious. Ron weighed his words carefully. He knew that the two weren't speaking, but he hated how Harry was alone. If they would only work things out Harry would come back. He decided to tell Snape what he knew and hope that it would work out.

"He's been practicing his wandless magic. He levitated his trunk easily. In fact, he did it without a wand and without words."

Snape knew that Harry had the ability and he was glad to hear that Harry had been working on it.

Ron continued, "Harry told me about the dream he had about the Grangers being killed. He blames himself for not warning them."

Snape's head swung towards him. "What did you tell him when he said that?"

Ron shrugged. "I told him he shouldn't feel that way. Merlin, I hate how everything happens to him. He never gets a break."

"I agree. How did he seem otherwise?"

"He looked tired, and thin. I guess transfigured books aren't very nutritious. I know Dumbledore didn't want us to send him any food, but honestly, Professor, if you had seen him, you would have loaded him up with stuff too."

"I do not fault you for doing so." After a pause he asked, "What else can you tell me?"

For a moment, Ron was silent, wondering at the concern he could hear, even if it was Lupin's voice. "He feels pressured to be perfect, like he has to live up to all these expectations people have of him. He doesn't think he can deal with it. He just wants to be a kid."

Snape settled his Lupin form more comfortably, crossing his legs with his ankle hooked over a knee. On Snape it would never have worked, as it was far too casual. On Lupin it looked natural enough, but Ron couldn't help thinking that Snape was in there. The man was frowning thoughtfully as he spoke. "Unfortunately, he is correct. The wizarding world does have extraordinary expectations of him. He will have to learn to deal with the stress. The expectations are a part of him."

Ron stood and expelled a harsh breath. "It's not fair, though. He's just a kid! Why can't everyone leave him alone and let him breathe?"

The brown eyes were glinting as they stared up at him. "I did not say it was fair. I said that Harry was correct in his assessment of the situation. He has been burdened with a terrible prophecy. He will need to learn and grow a great deal before he will be ready to face the Dark Lord. He will need his friends."

Ron turned to Snape warily. "Did you just say he needed his friends? I thought that you would be one of the ones saying that friends are a waste of valuable time."

"Before this past summer, I would have. Now I have a different perspective."

They stared at each other for a few moments before Ron shook his head. "I keep forgetting who I'm talking to. This is just too weird, hearing you out of Lupin's mouth."

"It is not a comfortable experience from this side either, I assure you," Snape said dryly.

"But the fact remains; Harry needs his friends. You were the catalyst that started him on his way to recovery. From what I've learned, survivors of abuse may take years to recover. There may be steps forward, followed by steps backwards. It cannot be rushed."

Ron nodded in agreement as he sat in contemplation. After a while he asked, "What happens if You-Know-Who comes after him before he's ready?"

"We must hope that we will be able to protect him until he gains the knowledge and the strength he needs." He stared at Ron and added, "That's one of the reasons we have let him be in his solitude. At least at Hogwarts, he is protected by the wards and protections it offers."

Ron looked at Snape thoughtfully. "I wondered why you didn't just go after him. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore knows exactly where he is, huh?"

Snape shook his head. "He says that he does not, that the castle is protecting him. The ghosts have apparently been companions of some sort."

They both stopped and stared at each other. Were they actually carrying on a civil conversation? Both seemed to come to the conclusion that it was not a comfortable situation and Ron reddened as Snape's mouth in Lupin's face grew tight.

Ron finally spoke, as his thoughts formed about what had been said. "The longer he stays away, the harder it will be when he comes back to class. Everyone will think he gets special privileges if he just picks up where he left off. I can see that he will get a hard time because of it."

Lupin-Snape nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. That is very likely true. When you speak to him again, let him know that we need to work these details out."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "You think he'll come see me again?"

"Actually, Mr. Weasley, I hope that he does. He needs his friends, as I have said. He has much to work out and being a recluse will hardly help. At some point, he will have to deal with people again."

Ron looked into the serious brown eyes, seeing the sincerity there. It really was confusing to see Lupin and realize Snape was behind those eyes. Still, he could see that there was a great deal of concern for Harry there. He thought that it must be harder for Snape to mask his feelings while in Lupin's form.

The man suddenly stood up, drawing in a hissing breath. He had drawn his left arm up to hold it against his chest. His eyes were wild.

Ron jumped up. "Is it …"

"Yes. I cannot go in this body. Tell Professor McGonagall I had to leave. She'll know what I had to do. She needs to contact Dumbledore immediately and let him know. Harry will need watching." With that, he spun away, walking rapidly until he disappeared around the corner of the church.

Ron hurried back inside. His grim face caught McGonagall's attention and she stepped over to him. After a few quiet words with Ron, she made her way to a side room where she could discreetly send a message back to Hogwarts.

Moments later, she motioned to the rest of them and they assembled in the room. "We must leave now. The wards here are temporary and we need to get to a safer place." She threw looks at Ron and Hermione and the adults understood that she meant that the 'children' had to be protected. The Weasley adults each took hold of one of the teens and before they could comment, they had side-along Apparated them back to The Burrow.

At the Burrow, Ron and Hermione both staggered from the shock of Apparating without warning. Only the Weasleys were there, and Ron assumed that the others had gone back to Hogwarts. He felt torn, wanting to be here with Hermione, and wanting to go back and be at Hogwarts for Harry. But then he thought that he didn't have a clue as to where Harry was, and he knew he could be right here for Hermione. She was already crying on Molly's shoulder. Ron caught a few muffled words and realized that they had left the church before her parents had been buried. He put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. Molly gently pushed her back towards Ron.

"Go on and sit down, dears. I'll make tea. It's been a difficult day all around."

She bustled away as Ron led Hermione to a sofa and sat her down. Keeping his arm around her, he drew her close against his side. In a few moments, she was asleep with her head on his shoulder.

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Snape paced the dungeon floor, waiting for the Polyjuice Reversal potion to take effect. Combined with the fiery pain in his arm, the transformation process was an agony. For a moment, he felt a kinship with the werewolf, thinking of him undergoing this kind of change every full moon. A reversal potion was seldom used since the Polyjuice wore off so rapidly. Was the fact that he had used werewolf hair a factor that made it so painful, or would it be painful regardless? He made a mental note to research the matter further, if he came through this night in one piece. He smirked to himself, thinking how like him it was to maintain his scientific curiosity in the face of his present circumstances.

He wanted to open the link between himself and Harry; make sure he was alright. But then he thought that his time would be better spent shoring up his Occlumency, gathering his strength to face the Dark Lord. He would be excessively late after waiting for his body to return to form and then finally answering the summons. He would be given the Cruciatus for not responding promptly. He hoped that he wouldn't get worse. He hoped that Dumbledore had contacted the ghosts and they were watching Harry now. He hoped that Harry was blocking out the pain …

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	11. Chapter 11

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

_A/N: Thank to everyone who has read and reviewed! You have kept me going on this! Just to let you know, I look at every reviewer's profile. If you are an author, I try to read your stories too! You inspire me! Thanks to everyone who has added me to their favorites. WOW!_

_Special thanks to my wonderful beta, logicalquirk!_

**Chapter 11**

He could not sit still in his room while he knew the Granger service was in progress. He could not get their faces out of his mind if he wasn't moving. So, Harry had wandered 'his' part of the castle for what seemed like hours. Sir Nicholas periodically joined him, and the Grey Lady hovered silently behind him as he explored. As he walked, he thought about the conversation he had had with Draco. The Slytherin was teetering between the Dark and the Light. Harry could see the indecision in his eyes when he looked at him.

Harry realized that Draco had been abused in ways that may have been even more cruel than his own experience. Draco's father had told Draco that he was doing it out of love. Harry's family had given no such pretense. They hated him and everything he stood for.

Draco had been taught pure-blood bigotry from the time he was born. To believe himself better than everyone else was as natural as breathing. His father had 'squashed' the inclination to question it, just like Dursley had tried to squash the magic out of Harry.

Something in both boys remained; something that did question the right of what they had been told.

Harry had taken the path that was hard, the one that might very well lead to his death. Would Draco do the same, or would he take the easier path? Would he do what his heart told him was right, or would he choose to live a lie and follow his father? Harry pondered these thoughts as he walked aimlessly …

The sudden pain flaring in his arm and in his scar sent him to the ground, heaving. Sweat broke out across his face and he leaned his cheek against the cold stone of the floor. After a few minutes, he had his shields up to where he could think again. The pain wasn't only in his head and where Severus's Dark Mark was, but in his very bones. What was going on? He could feel his bones almost trying to shift somehow.

Rising slowly to his feet, he leaned against the wall. "What's going on, Nick?" he asked the ghost.

Sir Nicholas disappeared and Harry knew that he would be back with an answer. The ghost had been very good about telling Harry the news of the castle and Harry had got used to hearing the medieval man's pompous voice describe what was happening in the classes and hallways of Hogwarts.

He pulled the map out and saw that he was quite a way from his room. Breathing deeply and pulling himself all the way upright, he began to make his way back. Nick showed up just as he collapsed onto his settee.

"Professor Snape is in the dungeons, waiting for a potion to reverse his use of the Polyjuice Potion. He had gone to the service as Professor Lupin. He plans to answer the summons as soon as he is able." Nicholas delivered this news quickly and then hovered near the Grey Lady. Harry noticed that The Bloody Baron and the Friar were there as well. He knew then that he was being watched over.

In spite of his Occlumency, a new and more stabbing pain reared up in his head. He could feel the anger coming in waves from Voldemort. He was furious that Severus had not answered his summons yet. Harry felt cold fear along side the fierce burn in his head and arm. The delay was fueling all the doubts Malfoy had planted.

Harry reached out to the Bloody Baron. "Go tell him not to go … Voldemort will kill him this time."

The Baron and the Friar both vanished. Harry focused on his labyrinthine tapestry and began the path that would clear his mind of pain. He just knew Severus would not attempt to go after he had Harry's warning. All they had to do was make it through until Voldemort got tired of sending his mind to Harry and antagonizing him.

He was drifting in his sea of calm when he heard Nick beside him. "Professor Snape has gone to the summons."

Harry snapped out of his relaxation mode and sat upright. With the barest effort, he cracked open the link. A roaring filled his ears, pain slamming him backwards against the cushions. He recognized the agony of the Cruciatus Curse, and remembered way back to the year before when he had felt the pain of Severus's bones being broken. Voldemort had lost no time in administering punishment. The feelings were a continuous wash through him, in spite of his having opened the link only a bit. He could sense that Severus was holding his Occlumency up and shielding all his thoughts of Harry.

For the moment, Harry forgot how angry he was with Severus concerning the death of the Grangers. There had to be more to that story, if he was being tortured by Voldemort himself, and if he was doing his best to protect his thoughts of Harry.

A particularly excruciating pain raced along his spine and Harry heard Snape scream in his mind. Harry crumpled to the floor, feeling as if his legs had somehow been made useless. Forcing himself to rise again, Harry made his way out of the room and began to walk out of his secluded area, hands gripping the walls as he went.

At the bottom of a stairway, he stopped to rest. His legs were now numb. Walking was dangerous because he couldn't feel his feet to place them one in front of the other. Sitting down, he thought of how he could get Dumbledore's attention. Someone had to go get Severus. They really were killing him this time. There would be no Death Eater mercy making it quick. There would be no forgiveness from Voldemort. The Dark Lord was in a high rage, and Severus was about to pay for it.

Harry wanted to cry in despair. He hadn't been able to talk to Severus since the other night when he told him he never wanted to speak with him again.

Just as suddenly as the pain had started, it ended. Harry sat stunned for a few moments. Now what had happened? Very cautiously, he spoke into the link. '_Severus …'_

The opening closed quickly and solidly from the other end. So he must be alright. He must be conscious to have been aware of Harry. He must still be with Voldemort if he couldn't spare a moment to assure him. Was the meeting almost over? Was he hurt badly? Would he go back to the dungeons, to the Hospital wing, or to Dumbledore's office? Harry stood up on legs that were tingling as the feeling came back to them. The pin-and-needles sensation on the soles of his feet were painful as he began to walk along again. He chose to go to the Hopsital wing. If Snape was experiencing worse than what Harry had felt, he would probably head there first.

He was glad that he had taken to wearing the invisibility cloak everywhere he went, liking that he had an added measure of security. He felt relatively safe going into inhabited areas while he wore it. Now, he stuck close to the walls as he made his way. He planned to just wait and watch. He would stay in a corner and no one would know he was there …

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Snape had held on to the Dark Mark and let it Apparate him away as soon as he had regained his own likeness. He found himself at Malfoy Manor, in the center of the gathering of Death Eaters. Before he could focus clearly, he was hit by several Cruciatus curses. From his position on the floor, he opened his eyes when they ended. He saw the hem of the Dark Lord's robes in front of him. Forcing down the nausea, he rolled to his side and then to his knees. Keeping his head bowed, he touched his lips to the robe.

"Sseveruss … where have you been for sso long? You have kept me waiting … and you know I wait for no one." The voice was deceptively low and calm.

Another Cruciatus Curse, this one from the hand of Voldemort, sent Snape back to the floor in convulsions. His back bowed backwards into an almost impossible c-shape, and his head pounded relentlessly against the floor with each spasm.

When the curse was lifted, Snape fell full-length onto his back and gave a loud yell at the pain it caused. His spine was screaming as raw nerves protested their treatment. He could not feel his legs, and for a moment he wondered if he had been paralyzed. Then the prickling of reawakened nerve endings let him know that he still had the use of them.

Another kind of wave filled his mind, a brutal probing of his thoughts, raking them aside, tearing them from his subconscious, searching for any signs of weakness, betrayal. Snape pushed his ready arsenal of memories and thoughts forward, heaping them up, replenishing them as quickly as they were torn away. The time Voldemort spent ripping his thoughts apart seemed endless. When it ended, Snape drew a long deep breath, feeling like he had been held underwater forever. His lungs burned with the indrawn breath, and the nerves in his back screamed again in protest.

He kept silent through shear force of will, knowing that any weakness would be exploited. For a moment, there was a brief glimmer of Harry's presence, searching for assurances. Snape immediately closed the link, burying it beneath countless layers of thoughts and memories.

Finally, the Dark Lord spoke, his voice still menacing in spite of its softness. "I can find no deceit in you, my friend … but there are those of your companionss who insist that you are not what you sseem … I do not wish to lose my Potionss Master, so I will give you the gift of continuing life – for now." A long-nailed finger traced a furrow down the side of Snape's face. It burned as if an acid had followed the wake of the nail. Snape bit the inside of his jaw, clenching his teeth. Voldemort continued, "I cannot ignore the accusations much longer. You must give me proof of your loyalty …"

Snape dared to raise his eyes to the red ones. "I have done your bidding without question, my Lord. I have proven my loyalty. The ones bringing accusations –" Another Cruciatus curse surged through his frame and this time he was unable to get control of the nausea, vomiting his agony into a pool in front of his knees.

"Your accuserss will face my wrath if they are proven wrong. Loyalty must be proven firsst."

Snape kept his head bowed, shuddering from the effects of his injuries and the Cruciatus. The smell from the puddle in front of him threatened to cause him to add to it. In as quiet and as subservient a voice as possible, he asked, "What would you have me do to prove myself, my Lord?"

There were whispered words spoken beyond his comprehension, but Snape recognized Malfoy's voice. After a long silence, Voldemort spoke. "For now, I will watch … I will watch _all_ of you more carefully … jealoussy does not trouble me overly much … but I would have lesss of it in my Inner Circle … competition for my favor must not interfere with my pleasures … leave now … I will let you know what your tassk is to be …"

There was another breath-stealing sensation as Snape was transported outside the Manor. He found himself lying on wet leaves in a stand of trees. The chill air caused him to shiver and he bit back another cry of pain that the motion caused. He remained still for a long time, gathering his strength for Apparating.

The effort he spent left him laying on the ground again as he appeared at the Apparition boundary of Hogwarts. An attempt to stand again left him in spasms of misery. He realized that he would not be able to get himself to the castle. Would Harry help him, or was he still too angry …

Harry sat huddled in a corner of the Hospital. He had a clear view of the door and the fireplace. Madame Pomfrey sat at her desk, drumming her fingers impatiently on its surface. Harry had watched silently as she laid out bottles of potions beside a bed. He recognized ones used to counteract the Cruciatus pain, Skelegro, and Sleeping Draughts. She clearly had prepared to receive someone seriously injured. Harry assumed that Dumbledore was watching his own floo, as well as the one in the dungeons.

Harry had stretched out his legs to ease a cramp when the link suddenly opened.

'_Harry …'_

'_I'm here. Where are you?'_

'_My back … can't move …'_

'_Where are you?'_ Harry asked again. He stood up, pulling the Invisibility cloak off. Pomfrey gasped in surprise, but Harry ignored it to say quickly, "He's outside the Apparition boundary at the gates. He can't get up!"

Pomfrey was close behind him as he ran down the corridors, stairs and out the great front door of the castle. He ran until he got to the gates. Just outside, Harry saw the huddled form on the ground. Falling to his knees, he touched a black-clad shoulder.

"Severus … Madame is coming …" he panted.

Opening the link wider, Harry could feel that Snape was in an indescribable amount of pain. Sitting on the cold ground, he gently pulled the dark head into his lap, smoothing the lank hair back from a sweaty forehead. Tremors shook Snape's body and he stared up at Harry silently. Harry could tell that Snape was holding in groans of pain behind clenched jaws.

Madame Pomfrey ran up, huffing and out of breath. She knelt down and began scanning Snape with her wand. Muttering under her breath, Harry barely heard her lamenting having not contacted Dumbledore before leaving the castle.

Harry waved a hand toward the castle. "Expecto Patronum!" His silver stag appeared, standing over them. Harry looked into its eyes and it took off towards the castle. He looked at Pomfrey and said, "He'll go to Dumbledore. They'll come."

With a nod, she returned to scanning Snape and murmuring charms to ease his pain. The black eyes had closed. Harry continued to smooth the dark hair, then saw the long inflamed cut that ran from his hairline, the side of his right eye, down over the cheekbone and ending at his jawline. He placed his palm over it, wanting to give some measure of relief to the man. Healing energy flowed through his hand and into Snape. His furrowed forehead relaxed slightly, but the slash remained the same.

Dumbledore and McGonagall both arrived within minutes. Harry supposed that having seen his Patronus, they weren't very surprised to see him sitting there with Snape. McGonagall settled for giving Harry's shoulder a squeeze, letting him know that she was glad to see him. But he was focused on Snape, feeling for the extent of his injuries, needing to know that he could be made alright again.

Pomfrey and Dumbledore conjured a stretcher and the medi-witch spoke to Harry. "Let's get him on as gently as possible. His spine is fractured. We need to keep it aligned until I can begin the healing properly.

Harry knew enough to realize that a wrong move could leave Snape paralyzed. He threw out his hand at Pomfrey. "Wait, then. Let me …" His green eyes stared hard at her, wanting her to let him stabilize Snape before they moved him. She stared back for a moment and then nodded.

Harry looked down at the man, seeing his eyes were open again and looking back at him.

'_You owe me nothing, Harry. Let them move me.'_

'_And let a wrong move paralyze you? No.'_

'_Are you deliberately disregarding my instructions?_

"_Yes, I am.'_ Harry glared down at Snape. _'Just take away a few hundred more points from Gryffindor … add it to what you probably already took because I haven't been in class for weeks.'_

The fact that he got no response told Harry that Snape was in too much pain to keep up the verbal sparring. He bent closer, searching with his hands, moving them across Snape's chest, reaching around him to touch his back, finally settling into what looked like a full embrace of the man.

He felt the pain as it began to flow backwards along the line of healing energy. Harry took it into himself, tears of pain flowing down his cheeks when the throbbing rose up in his own back before ebbing into a tolerable level. The side of his face was against Snape's, against the long red gash. Harry could feel it burning him, so he thought it must be burning Snape, too. Fatigue was now settling into him, and still he sent out the healing energy.

He felt Snape's hands come up and push at him. "No more …" Snape whispered. "No more for now …"

Harry understood that Snape didn't want him to totally exhaust himself. He sat back and Madame Pomfrey immediately waved her wand to check the results.

"He may be moved safely now. Let's get him up to the castle."

Harry stood up once they had levitated Snape onto the stretcher. He followed the procession as they made their way back to the castle and up to the Hospital wing. He stood back as Pomfrey worked, pouring potions into Snape, waving her wand in complicated healing charms. Dumbledore and McGonagall stood at the other side of the bed, watching intently.

When Pomfrey stood back at last, she glanced over and did a double-take at seeing Harry standing a safe distance away. Bustling back to her supplies, she returned with two potions and handed them to him. At his mistrustful look, she clicked her tongue at him.

"It's only a Pepper Upper Potion and some nutritional elixir. You look peeky, and I know you exhausted your magic to stabilize Severus. Drink them down at once."

Harry did so and then looked at the other professors. Three sets of eyes were on him and he felt suddenly exposed. A quick movement had the Invisibility Cloak over him and he moved down the room, away from where they still looked.

Snapes eyes had been closed, but Harry heard him speak through the link. _'Harry, will you stay?'_

'_I don't like them all looking at me. They're just thinking about how they can keep me here, and I don't want to be around everyone.'_

Dumbledore spoke up, "Harry, please don't be afraid of us. I will not insist that you stay if you are not ready."

Harry didn't want to give away his position by speaking, although he thought Dumbledore probably knew right where he was anyway. Instead, he spoke to Snape,

'_If they leave, I'll stay with you for awhile…just to make sure you're alright.'_

'_Of course,'_ Snape answered dryly.

Harry sat down on the floor across from Snape's bed. Leaning against the wall, he watched until after Pomfrey finally shooed Dumbledore and McGonagall away. She waved a few final charms over Snape and made him drink a sleeping potion, much to his displeasure. She watched until Snape was asleep and then she went to her own room and shut the door softly.

Harry sat against the wall, hugging his knees, content to just watch Snape breathe. After a while, he stood and walked to the bedside. Looking down at the man, he saw that the gash down the side of his face was still quite vivid against the pale skin. Harry knelt down beside the bed, wanting to touch him, but not daring.

The ache in his heart made it hard to breathe. He had wanted so much to be with Snape, to hold on to what they had had this past summer. He was afraid they would never get it back, and then this ordeal with the Grangers had happened. He was afraid he would never get past that, no matter what the reasons Snape might eventually give him.

Harry sank down onto the floor, resting his chin on the bed beside Snapes hand. Finally, he gave in and laid his hand atop Snape's. With a sigh, he closed his eyes. In moments he was asleep, still covered with the invisibility cloak, his head on the bed, fingers clutching his guardian's hand.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO


	12. Chapter 12

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

_A/N: If this chapter seems familiar, you may have read my one-shot, A Conversation With Merlin. I had this chapter in my head way back before I had finished The First Prophecy! Enjoy!_

_I just have to keep thanking my extraordinary beta**, logicalquirk**, without whom, none of this rapid update would be possible!_

**Chapter 12**

Harry found himself in the familiar dreaming place, white mist rolling around his feet, eddies of it marking where he had stepped through it. Snape stood several feet away, looking around with narrowed eyes, his stance alert and on guard.

The white mist parted and a tall figure was striding forward. The silhouette was shadowed, but Snape could see that it was a robed and bald man, carrying a long staff. Instinctively, he drew his wand, almost certain that the man was a threat to Harry.

Harry stood uncertainly; why was Snape here? Harry was sure that he had not been dreaming of Voldemort. Unless he had a nightmare, Snape wouldn't show up like this, especially since they weren't exactly on good terms right now. He watched Snape draw his wand as the shadowed man advanced. Harry sensed no threat, but he also trusted the instincts that Snape had, however he felt about the man personally. He pulled his own wand and stood beside his teacher, at the ready.

The man came into the light and Snape gaped in amazement, his wand falling to the ground. Harry glanced up at him with a frown. Had the other already cast a silent spell to confound Snape? With a growl, he stepped in front of Snape in a protective manner, one hand holding his wand and the other hand held up in a defensive stance he had adopted while practicing.

The man chuckled and Snape dropped to one knee, bowing his head. He put a hand on Harry's arm, hissing, "Put away your wand and kneel!"

Harry spoke grimly, "I don't know what he's done to you, Severus, but I won't let him get you without a fight."

The man threw back his head in laughter. He put out a hand and Snape's wand flew into his grasp. He handed it to Snape, handle extended, while Harry barely stopped himself from casting a hex at him. Snape took the wand and stood, inclining his head to the wizard before them.

Harry was still bewildered, but it seemed that there wasn't the threat that Snape had first perceived. He wouldn't have backed down from his own defensive stance, nor would he have dropped his wand, if this man was any kind of danger to them.

Who was this guy anyway? It certainly wasn't Voldemort. He bore a slight resemblance to Dumbledore, or at least he would have if Dumbledore was bald. This wizard was tall, completely bald, with a snow white waist length beard. His robes were a deep purple, with a silver lining. He had a skull-fitting cap of silver on his head. The staff in his hand was topped with a purple crystal. Harry was brought out of his appraisal when the man spoke.

"Have you figured out who I am yet, young one?" His eyes were blue, like Dumbledore's, and they were twinkling just like Dumbledore's did when he was amused.

Harry forgot about the animosity he had for Snape and looked up at the teacher in question.

Snape said quietly, "My Lord Merlin; you honor us with your presence." Harry didn't think he had ever heard such reverence in Snape's voice. He was always respectful to Dumbledore, and Harry had heard the sickening simper that Snape adopted with Voldemort when he addressed that snake. This was decidedly different … Merlin?

Harry's eyes snapped forward and fixed on the smiling wizard. "You're Merlin?" he gasped in disbelief.

The man nodded and Snape growled, "You are being disrespectful, Potter. Offer your wand and bow."

Before Harry could think of exactly how to do that, Merlin chuckled again. "No need for that Severus. I've had enough homage paid me during my own time and since. The boy need not pay more."

Merlin rapped his staff on the ground and a light began to glow all around them. "You might well ask what I am doing here in your dreams, in your time." He waited expectantly.

Snape seemed uncharacteristically flustered so Harry shrugged and asked,

"Okay, why are you here in my dreams then?"

Snape made a strange strangled noise at the casualness of Harry's inquiry. Merlin ignored this and smiled at Harry. "You are worthy of the Gryffindor House, young one. The fates were wise in their selection." He looked at Snape, "Wise in the selection of you both."

Harry couldn't help asking, "What do you mean, the fates selected us?"

"You were both fated to your destinies long before you were born. As long ago as my earth time, I foresaw you and the present age of trouble."

"You mean Voldemort?"

Harry noted that Merlin did not flinch when Harry spoke the name, but looked amused at Snape's hiss.

"Your Albus Dumbledore has the right of it, you know; fear of the name only makes one more afraid of the thing itself." He began a slow walking stroll and Harry fell in beside him, mesmerized. Snape followed silently behind, not trusting himself to speak yet.

"I am here because you are about to undo the work of the fates with your enmity. I am here so that the prophecies made in this age will not have been made in vain." He stopped, whirling about and fixing them both with a fierce glare. "I am here to see that the existence of our world does not end with the reign of that misbegotten abomination."

For a moment, his eyes glowed in brilliant purple, glowering at them as if they were the abomination he spoke of. Then his gaze softened again. He walked again, Harry and Snape along either side of him.

"The First Prophecy, as you have named it, must be fulfilled so that the second prophecy may also be fulfilled."

Harry stopped. "What second prophecy? I know that I am said to be the one who will defeat Voldemort. What is the second one?" He looked at Merlin, who looked at Snape with raised eyebrows as he answered.

"The prophecy about Voldemort's defeat _is_ the second prophecy. The First Prophecy concerns Severus and how he is to be instrumental in your preparation."

Harry looked at Snape, anger in his face. "You never told me about another prophecy. Is that why you helped me when you did? Because you had to? I should have figured that one out. You only did it because you _had_ to. You never _wanted_ to at all. You've hated me still, haven't you?" His eyes were shining, suddenly filled with tears that he furiously held back. He would not let them fall in front of Merlin, and he would not give Sev – _no_, _Snape_ – the satisfaction of seeing that he had somehow gotten to Harry again."

Snape looked at Merlin, fixing him with his own brand of fury, before he spoke to Harry. "Of course that's not why I've done what I have. I was helping you before I learned of the First Prophecy and what it might mean."

Harry said scathingly, "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. No one ever tells me anything, do they? I'm just the bloody Boy Who Lived and the Bloody Savior St. Potter. Don't bother telling me anything real, because it might put me off doing my duty!" He was breathing hard when he finished.

Snape stepped forward, as if to take Harry's shoulders and shake him, but instead drew his hands back before they made contact. "That's a ridiculous conclusion, Potter. If you aren't told something it's for your own protection. I would thank you to keep a respectful tone when you address your elders –"

Merlin stepped between them. His voice was commanding, for all its softness. "I came to _ease_ the tensions, not increase them. You will both tamp down the fires of your differences and heed my words."

Harry lowered his hands and unclenched his fists, not even remembering raising them. Snape assumed a less towering stance and uncrossed his arms.

Merlin addressed Snape first. "You, Severus, are accustomed to being heard and not questioned. You have used your powers for darkness and have now turned back to the light. Your redemption will be at the death of the Dark Lord, but you must balance the duties of teaching darkness to the boy and yet preventing his turning to it as you did. A seemingly impossible task, yes?" Snape gave a grudging nod.

Merlin turned to Harry, coming forward to stand over him, the purple light shining around them from the crystal on the staff. "You, Harry Potter, are the Chosen one. You have been branded by the Dark Lord, and it has given you access to his powers. But you deny them, shirking the opportunity to turn his own darkness against him."

Harry opened his mouth but Merlin held out a hand, stopping him. "You are still a child." He turned to take in Snape with his narrowed eyes, making sure he heard what was being said. "You are a child who needs to feel secure in the adults who are responsible for you." He looked back at Harry, his voice becoming gentle. "You have suffered greatly, and while it is understandable that you do not trust, it is necessary that you do. You need to trust that the adults who care for you will tell you what you need to know, _when_ you need to know it. Before that time, you need to trust that they have your best interest at heart."

He turned and paced thoughtfully and then looked at them both in turn. "Hate comes so easily. It does now, just as it did in my age. Evil will always be a part of every world and every age. In mine, it was Morgana and her son Mordred. She sowed mistrust in the kingdom, bringing Camelot to ruin. She used my own magic against me because even I fell for her sorceress wiles. She craved power for her son so she could rule through him."

He sighed deeply. "Evil ebbs and flows like the sea. It's a give and take of currents and waves. It's mostly in balance, the light coming back to uncover the darkness, once it's had it's time of being." He fixed them with a glowing stare. "But this present darkness, the power of the Dark Lord, has been rising, and _not_ ebbing. The fates saw that this future was coming, and with it, two possible outcomes.

Harry and Snape looked at each other, both of them attempting to listen without interrupting the powerful wizard when they heard his words.

Merlin brought his staff down with a resounding rap on the ground. "One: he works his unnatural magic to overtake the wizarding world. Once that happens, his thirst for power will destroy the very thing he wants. He will annihilate so many in his quest that there will not be any remaining of our kind after another generation." He paused to allow them a moment for grasping his words.

Snape felt bile rise up in his throat. He had thought that the Dark Lord was the very Devil personified, and now those thoughts seemed to be accurate. But he had not thought that his reign of darkness would bring about the end of wizard kind. He looked back up as Merlin continued, the staff sounding another echoing rap.

"The second outcome sees the end of the Dark Lord, brought about by the Chosen Child of Light, or the Wizard of Light. Harry Potter, you were the Chosen Child of Light. You defeated him because of your mother's sacrifice, but he was not vanquished from the earth. You are now the Wizard of Light, and while you will be his equal in power one day, you are not yet. You must continue to learn all you can of both the Light and the Dark. Only this will be his undoing, for he knows no Light. Only by this will you stop the tidal wave that is coming to consume the world."

Harry looked at Snape, and in green his eyes Snape saw the fear and felt the hopelessness that Merlin's words caused him.

Snape looked at Merlin and Merlin stared back at him with a ferocious intensity. "You, Severus Snape, are the sentinel of the mind of the Light. You are the one who will teach him what he needs to know. It has been foretold and cannot be denied if this outcome is to be the one that comes to pass. You must be teacher, friend, and father. You cannot be his enemy. He will _die_ without you; and without him you will _all_ die."

Harry began to tremble with the force of emotion. This was so much more terrifying than when the prophecy had been just words. Now they had been given voice by Merlin himself. Now he knew that the words were certain and that he would have to kill Voldemort. He looked up at Merlin, squaring his shoulders and asked, "Will I die when I kill him?"

Merlin smiled down at him. "Not all things are known. I did not know the depth of your heart and the strength of your courage until I stood before you. I cannot see the end for you. That is for you to make. Fate only destined you to be the one for whom his destruction would be possible. It did not preordain you to either live or die."

Harry braved another question. "You're Merlin, more powerful than Voldemort. Why can't you kill him? People say Dumbledore is the greatest wizard of our time and that he is the only one Voldemort fears. Why can't he kill him?"

Merlin's eyes glittered. "I am shadow now. My age has passed and I cannot take part in this age. As for Dumbledore … he _is_ the greatest wizard of your time. He has successfully defeated another dark wizard of your time already. But the destruction of Voldemort must be at the hands of a force that even Dumbledore does not have. You, Harry, will have the power that he knows not, because you were conceived in love, saved by love, and have a heart of love inside you."

The white mists began to swirl up around Merlin. The crystal sent a glow into the droplets, rainbows twisting into the swirls of white. He gazed at them both and then at Snape. "Once, you helped him have the childhood he had missed. In spite of what he has been through, he still needs the life experiences that any other boy needs. No matter what powers he may have, his heart is still that of a child; tender and easily broken. Tread lightly, my friend. Be his guide, not his tyrant. He needs both constraint and freedom to become what he must. "

The mist consumed Merlin and the rainbows faded. Snape looked down at Harry. In spite of what all Merlin had said, he knew that it was ultimately up to Harry what their future would be. Could he forgive Snape? Could he let himself trust again a man who had taken away more of his friends?

Harry stared up with full green eyes. He had seen the death of the Grangers as a deep, unforgivable betrayal. Merlin had said that they would have to work together for Harry to learn what he needed to know.

Snape knew that meant he would have to relive those moments in the Granger home so Harry would be able to see and understand what had taken place there. He would have to reopen his own festering wounds to do it and he did not relish the thought.

Harry held out a shaking hand. Snape extended his own unsteady hand until just the tips of their fingers touched. Whiteness engulfed them.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Harry's eyes snapped open and he found himself looking right into the black eyes of Snape. They stared at one another for a few moments, each wondering briefly if it had only been a normal dream, and not a shared one.

Harry whispered, "Merlin must like purple."

Snape frowned and gave his head a little shake. "_What_? After a dream like that, you can only comment on his favorite color? Didn't you pay attention to anything he said?" he asked in a scathing voice.

Harry scooted back, looking at his feet as he remained there in the floor beside the bed. "Yes. I heard him. I was just trying to see if I had only been having a regular dream, or if you were really there, too."

Snape pushed himself upright, biting back a groan of pain. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea yet. He lay back with a long exhalation. Turning his head back to Harry, he spoke quietly. "I should not have been so … short with you. I was there. We shared the dream."

They looked at each other silently. Harry whispered, his voice almost inaudible, "I miss you so much … I feel like I'm not whole … but I'm afraid …"

Snape extended his hand, offering it to Harry. Harry looked at it for a moment and then moved closer to the bed again. He took the hand in his own, feeling the exchange of energies between them. Snape gave a sigh as the energies worked to further heal his injuries.

Standing up, Harry sat on the edge of the bed, staring at Snape. "Don't be mad at me, but I have to know what happened to the Grangers. I need to understand why you did it."

Snape's jaw clenched and Harry could see the tension there. Snape's hand gripped his harder.

"Merlin said that you need to understand that the adults around you will tell you what you need to know, _when_ you need to know it."

"But this, this is different! I _want_ to trust you, but I can't if I don't know _why_ you killed her!" Harry had a frantic look about him as he continued, "I need you and I need to know what your reasons were. I _want_ to understand it!"

Snape shoved aside his habitual sneer and impulse to be angry at Harry's insistence. He knew that it was unavoidable that Harry see it all. Taking a deep breath, he squeezed Harry's hand. "When I am able, we will borrow Professor Dumbledore's pensieve. In this, I will show you all I can." Harry relaxed slightly until Snape continued, "But it will be a horror that I would not choose for you to see. After this, you will not find it so easy to insist on your way."

"You think this has been easy, do you? I can imagine some pretty awful stuff, especially with the help I've had from Voldemort sending me dreams last year. The truth has to be better than what I imagine."

Snape kept silent at that, knowing that the truth would be much worse.

The doors opened and Madame Pomfrey walked briskly in, not batting an eye at seeing Harry sitting there. She waved her wand over Snape to scan his status.

"Your spine is still in a fragile state. You must stay off your feet for now.'

"How long?" Snape glared at her.

Unfazed, she answered, "This is a serious injury. If Harry had not stabilized you out on the grounds, you could very well have been paralyzed. No amount of magic can repair a torn spinal cord. If you value your ability to walk, you will give your body the time it needs to heal properly. As for the rest," she paused as she ran the wand over his face, "the cut down your face is not healing at all. I don't understand that …"

"The Dark Lord did that himself. It is strong dark magic; most likely it will heal eventually, but scar badly." Snape dismissed their concerned stares. He had never thought himself a handsome man by any standard. This would certainly not give him cause for worry.

Pomfrey poured several potions and lined them up on the bedside table. "Drink up, Severus. I'll have a tray sent up." Snape caught her eye and gave a slight nod towards Harry. She added, "I'll have two trays sent." With that, she bustled away, leaving them alone again.

Snape watched Harry closely, taking in the dirty robes and clothes, smudges on his face. "You need a bath. Aren't there any where you're staying?"

"No." He rubbed a self-conscious hand over his robe, seeing it with fresh eyes. He was filthy. His clothes were in a very rumpled state. "It hasn't been at the top of my to-do list."

"You should practice some cleaning charms, if you intend to remain away from the comforts of house elves." Snape quirked an eyebrow at Harry, trying to keep the conversation light.

Harry started to draw his hand back from Snape's, but Snape increased his grip. He was afraid that Harry would run before they had settled their differences a bit more. Harry pulled harder, feeling a start of panic at being made to stay.

"Let go …"

"Just stay long enough to eat, Harry. It's alright. We'll work it all out." Snape was keeping his voice as soft as he could. As soon as Harry stopped pulling, Snape eased up on his grip.

The trays had arrived and Pomfrey bustled back in, levitating a small table for Harry and putting Snape's tray across his lap. Snape let Harry's hand go at last, so Pomfrey could assist him in safely sitting up.

Harry looked over the tray, not knowing where to start. It seemed so long ago that he had eaten properly. Once he began to eat, he felt ravenous, cleaning the plate rapidly. Snape forked over some of his own breakfast onto Harry's plate, realizing exactly how hungry the boy must be.

Leaning back on his pillows, Snape contented himself that Harry was here for the moment and getting a decent meal. He watched as Harry finished drinking his pumpkin juice, then wiped his mouth across the sleeve of his robe. Harry looked up just then and caught the frown Snape gave at his method of cleaning his face.

Harry stood up, thinking that he had better leave before Dumbledore or McGonagall came.

Snape tried to sit forward and winced. Settling back, he spoke quietly, "Won't you stay and talk? I'd like to hear about what you've been doing."

Harry looked at him suspiciously. "Why?"

Snape closed his eyes tiredly. "No matter what you think of me right now, Harry, I do care about you. I've been concerned about you being alone. I know how much your friends mean to you, and you've been away from them for a while now."

Harry stood there, torn between wanting to stay near Snape, and wanting to escape before others came. He looked at the man while his eyes were closed. In the morning light, his face was gray with fatigue and pain. The vivid gash down the right side of his face was angry and swollen-looking. Harry could see that the hair where it began was starting to turn white.

"I heard Voldemort's anger when you didn't answer his summons right away. I thought he was really going to kill you this time. You can't go back, you know. He won't ever trust you again. Malfoy has planted too much doubt. I could feel it."

Snape had opened one eye to peer up at Harry as he spoke. After a moment, he answered, "I have to do what I can to regain his trust, then."

Harry moved close to the bed again. "Don't you understand? He will kill you next time."

"I have my duties –"

"To hell with them! If he kills you, you can't fulfill this prophecy I just heard about. Merlin said I need you to teach me. How can you do that if you're dead?" Before Snape could answer that, Harry continued, " And what about Draco? Do you realize how close he is to denying Voldemort? He needs you, too. He needs to know you'll be there for him when his father realizes that he refuses to go Death Eater."

Snape opened both eyes then, staring up at Harry. "How do you know this about Draco?"

Harry spun away and paced at the foot of the bed. "We ran into each other the other night up on the Astronomy Tower. We had quite a talk. I'm not sure if we'll ever be friends, but I think we understand each other better now. We even sparred a bit. When you talk to him, ask him how I did."

He stopped and stared down at Snape for a long moment. Footsteps could be heard outside the door and Harry whipped the Invisibility Cloak over his head rapidly. In his mind, Snape heard him: _'I'll be back later. I promise.'_

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	13. Chapter 13

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

**Chapter 13:**

Snape groused at the invalid treatment from Pomfrey, but he remained in the bed as ordered. When she finally let him stand on his feet, he was appalled at how weak he felt. His spine had healed, but the residual damage left him with a constant ache in his lower back that seemed to travel down his legs as he stood. Pomfrey conjured up a cane and ordered Snape to use it for awhile, until he was even stronger. He snarled at the idea, but as he made his way around the infirmary, he had to admit that the cane did seem to take some of the pressure off his back as he moved. Using his own magic, he changed the cane to a length of pure black ebony with a curved handle. Anything more elaborate smacked of the pretentiousness of Malfoy's silver snake-headed cane.

Draco had come to see him, and they had spent nearly an hour talking about Malfoy senior, the expectations he had for Draco, and what Draco wanted to do.

By the time Draco had come, Snape had reached the same conclusion as Harry concerning the Dark Lord. The chances of him surviving another encounter with the madman were slim to none. Dumbledore had agreed when Snape broached the subject with him. So, for all intents and purposes, Snape was no longer a spy. The next time Voldemort called, Snape would ride out the pain of the Dark Mark and ignore him. What would happen as a result remained to be seen.

Draco had been earnest in his desire to avoid joining the ranks of the Dark Lord's followers, but he had been less sure about actually proclaiming his loyalty to Dumbledore and the Light. Snape spent no little time attempting to convince him of the right path to take, now that he had no need to hide his true allegiances.

"Severus, my father will kill me if I turn my back on all that he has taught me. I will be dead to my family, even if he doesn't kill me right away. What will happen to me then?"

Snape considered the question carefully. Draco was a boy, like Harry, who needed security. His question was self-centered, but one could hardly blame him for his feelings of self-preservation.

"I don't plan to abandon you to his mercies, if that's what you're asking. I'll do my best to protect you."

Draco looked at Snape with questioning eyes. "That's what Potter said. He told me he'd do his best to protect me, just like he would all his friends."

Snape leaned back against his pillows. "He said that the two of you had talked."

"So, he has been back?" At Snape's nod, Draco continued, "He came up to the Astronomy Tower when I was there the other night. He told me you found him this last summer after his uncle had almost killed him." His voice conveyed his doubt that Harry had been truthful.

Snape nodded again. "That's true. His family had inflicted grievous injuries on him."

Draco blew out a breath as he ran his hand back over his hair. "You realize that knowing that changes everything I have ever believed about him, don't you?" He paced at the foot of the bed. "I always believed that he came to Hogwarts knowing how famous he was, that he had always been treated like a prince or something."

"He was not," Snape said darkly.

"As much as I don't want to believe it, I suppose I have to."

"Yes, you do." Snape regarded him through narrowed eyes for a moment. "Harry also said that you two dueled a bit. He said to ask you how that went."

"He was … amazing, Severus. He countered anything I threw at him, and he did it without a wand or words. How is he able to do that?"

"Did he not speak more about the summer?" Snape asked.

Draco frowned and said, "He said something about not being able to do magic and then he could suddenly do it wandless … I don't know. I suppose I was still surprised at it at all. He was offering to protect me if I turned. I was brooding about the expectations my father has for me …"

"You are a lot alike, I think." Snape held Draco's disbelieving gaze. "You both have a burden that is difficult. Harry has made his choice. Now you must make yours. The easy way is not always the best way."

Draco stared at Snape. "A while back, you told me to follow my heart. I thought that would be the easy way to go. But it's not."

"Following your heart is often the most difficult, because it involves a certain amount of selflessness. For one such as you, raised in privilege and family duty, selflessness can be easier said than done."

Madame Pomfrey came in and insisted that visiting time was over and that Snape needed his rest if he was to return to teaching the next day.

Draco moved over beside the bed and sat down on it. "The Slytherins will try to kill me, if and when I make a declaration."

Snape reached out a hand and clasped Draco's shoulder. "I have a lot of work to do within Slytherin. Let me deal with them. If they threaten you, let me know. Go and think through what we've talked about. I know you're strong enough to do the right thing."

Draco impulsively leaned down and hugged his godfather quickly. Snape stared at the door long after Draco swept out.

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Snape walked slowly into the Potions classroom, as upright as ever, leaning on the ebony cane. Potions classes had been suspended for the past week, the students having been told that Snape had suffered a disabling accident, but not its cause.

Snape had been told to expect Hermione back in class today. It was the first class of the day, sixth year Gryffindor and Slytherin. Snape drew in a deep breath. He hoped he would be ready to meet her eyes. He needed to be able to do that, for his own sake, and for hers. If she suspected, if she ever found out, he was sure she would be devastated all over again and, no matter that he was the more powerful wizard, he felt certain that she would exact stunning revenge.

After looking around to make sure everything was in order, he opened the door to admit the students waiting in the hallway. For once, he didn't hear any arguments between the members of the opposing houses. They were standing silently, most eyes on Hermione Granger as she stood shoulder to shoulder with Ron Weasley.

Her head was held high and she met the eyes of the Slytherins with boldness. Ron had heard the rumors that Slytherin had passed around; Hermione was not coming back; Hermione was coming back, but she was broken; Hermione had lost her will to succeed. He had told her to prepare her, and she had met the challenge with a strength that came from the desire to ensure that her parents had not died in vain.

In turn, the Slytherins were not sure how to proceed in the face of her bold presence. They had been sure of themselves up to the time they met her in front of the classroom. They had expected tearfulness, cowering, trembling; not this self-possessed young woman.

When the door opened, all eyes turned to the Potions Master standing there. He stood back and motioned them into the room. They passed silently into the room, taking their assigned places. Hermione looked up at him when she passed, meeting his eyes steadily. He gave her a nod and she returned it before moving on. He let out a hidden sigh of relief. The first and hardest hurdle had been overcome.

Snape waved a hand at the board and the assignment appeared.

"I do hope you enjoyed your brief respite from my class. As you are now woefully behind, your assignments will be doubled until we are caught up. The potion on the board is complicated. Please read carefully and be precise in your preparation and brewing. Begin."

Outside the classroom, Draco stood, knowing he was now late, but not quite able to force himself to enter. He had heard that Granger was returning today. He felt queasiness in the pit of his stomach, wondering if she would hold his father's actions against the son. He had heard the talk in his house, but had scoffed silently at their belief that she would be somehow less of a student as a result of recent events. His housemates had repeatedly congratulated him on his now assured place as top student of their year. He didn't want to be top student if he had not earned it. Before, he would have agreed that the place was rightfully his. Now, knowing how his father had tried to secure that position for him, he felt ill.

A soft rustling behind him had him whirling about, wand drawn. Harry stood there, one eyebrow raised at the wand in Draco's hand. Draco lowered his hand with a heavy exhalation.

"Are you coming back?"

"I thought I should give it a try. If Hermione can come back after what she's been through, how can I not?" His face betrayed a reluctance that Draco recognized.

"Well, then. Since we're both late, maybe Severus will realize the point loss would cancel each other out."

They stood there for a few moments, both of them apprehensive about entering, both glad not to be going in alone, and both uncomfortable that they were glad of each other's company.

Harry gave Draco a nod that he was ready, and Draco opened the door. They walked in together and stood at the back of the classroom.

Even though he had expected it, Harry was overwhelmed by the way the staring made him feel. He had to clench his jaw tightly to keep from turning around and walking out.

Hermione jumped up from her seat and ran to throw her arms around Harry. He gave her a hug in return and after she smiled at him, she returned to her seat. Snape walked slowly back until he stood in front of them. Black eyes met grey ones, and then green ones. Harry and Draco stood a little aghast at Snape's appearance. His hair was drawn back from his face and tied in a tail at his neck. A streak of white ran back from his hairline, a stark contrast to the black hair. The curse scar was a vivid red line from the white hair all the way down the pale face. He spoke through the link to Harry.

'_Are you ready to face it all?'_

'_Not really. But I guess I have to try. If Hermione can be brave enough to face it, I will too. Are you alright?'_

Snape nodded, and after another exchange of glances with Draco, he said levelly, "Take your places and begin the assignment. Loss of points for tardiness would hardly be worth it, since both houses are represented by the infraction. However, you will both stay after to finish cleaning the lab as punishment."

Draco and Harry gave each other an amused smirk and took places together at their usual table. Slytherin glares were returned with venomous glares by both Draco and Harry. They bent to the reading assignment. Harry was way ahead of this on his own, so he went to the supply cabinet and began to gather the ingredients. By the time he had it all, Draco was ready to join in the preparation work. As before, they worked well as a team and soon had the potion simmering for the prescribed time, while everyone else was just beginning to gather their ingredients.

Harry sat back on his stool. Snape was making a slow sweep of the classroom, pausing beside each table to observe progress and to make corrections. His manner was subdued, and Harry was sure that he was not the only one to notice it. Many of the class were giving Snape apprehensive looks, waiting for the usual tirade about idiocy and ineptitude, wondering when he would call them all dunderheads …

'_You're scaring them, you know.'_

Snape turned slowly to face Harry_. 'Am I? Why is that?'_

'_They think you'll explode in a rage any moment. Your calm is freaking them out and they're waiting to see who will be the target of your anger.'_

'_I am trying to be more patient. I find it distasteful, but after this summer, perhaps my methods need some alteration. If it doesn't work, it will be easy enough to go back to the usual tried and true.'_

Snape heard the derisive snort in his mind and gave Harry a glare. Draco was looking back and forth between them, seeing that there was some kind of unspoken exchange going on. Harry felt his jealousy and turned to him.

Green eyes bored into grey and Harry said quietly, "He's still your godfather. Nothing will change that."

Draco glanced between Harry and Snape and finally nodded. Their potion was complete and Draco bottled a sample while Harry disposed of the extra and began to clean their workspace.

The rest of the class finished their potions with varying degrees of success, and after collecting the samples from each pair, Snape dismissed them. Harry and Draco remained in their seats and waited for the classroom to empty. Hermione gave Harry's arm a pat as she walked out with Ron. Draco felt her look at him uncertainly, hesitating beside him, and then she was gone.

Snape rose from behind his desk and made his way back to their table. The boys looked at him expectantly. He stood before them silently for a long moment. Then, instead of assigning them their cleaning duties, he said, "I am pleased that you work so well together. I had thought that it was an isolated event when you did it before. Now, I believe that you have a synergy that is well served in brewing. In spite of past antagonisms, you've managed to give attention to the important matter at hand."

Harry and Draco looked at each other. They just knew that somehow, it felt right to be working together in Potions. Neither had realized that it had drawn Snape's attention.

Snape continued, "I expect that working well together will carry over into other aspects of your relationship."

He turned and began his slow walk back to his desk. Over his shoulder, he called, "You are dismissed."

The boys gathered up their bags. Harry opened the link. _'When can we use Dumbledore's pensieve?'_

Snape stopped. Without turning around to look at Harry, he answered, '_Tonight. Come to the Headmaster's office at eight.'_ He seemed to lean more heavily on the cane as he continued his walk. Harry wondered if he dreaded showing him what had happened, as much as he dreaded seeing it.

It turned out to be a good thing that Harry and Hermione returned on the same day. It seemed to split the attention so that not everyone was focused on either one of them alone. At lunch in the Great Hall, Hermione sat between Harry and Ron, and the rest of the Gryffindors surrounded them in a sort of physical barrier against the other houses. Harry thought they used remarkable restraint when they kept questions to a minimum. He gave some general answers about where he had been without divulging why. They seemed to accept his explanations, even though he could see they itched to ask more. Hermione was quiet, the picture of calm steadiness. Her demeanor gave Harry an example to follow. She didn't let the whispers around her make her nervous, nor did she shy away from the continued glares and loudly whispered rude comments from Slytherin.

Harry noted that Draco kept himself carefully removed from those who sought to undermine Hermione's unaffected attitude. He didn't make any protests to their actions, but he didn't take part either. The blond Slytherin sat alone at the Slytherin table, observing the action around him like one who might watch small children act out their games of pretend. He would roll his eyes when Pansy gave loud screams of amusement, or when Blaise made rude comments that led the others into more raucous laughter. It was one big party to them, but Draco was on the outside looking in.

Harry caught Draco's eye once or twice, and Draco would shutter his expression quickly. Harry thought that he must be wary that he might see his indecision. After another such glance, Harry shook his head. The Great Hall had become too noisy and he didn't know how much longer he could stand it until he had to leave.

As if hearing those thoughts, Hermione leaned towards him.

"I'm glad you came back today, Harry. Having you here has given me the courage to face everyone."

He looked at her in surprise. "'Mione, that's why _I_ came … I thought that if you could be brave enough to come back after what's happened, I could do it, too."

They leaned their shoulders together, smiling. On her other side, Ron looked at them both. Hermione put her arm through his and gazed up at him fondly. "This is our rock, Harry. I think both of us can do anything as long as Ron has our back."

Ron reddened at her words, but he patted the hand on his arm and said, "It's just great to have you both back here where you belong." He gave Harry an intense look. "Are you staying in the dorm tonight?"

Harry looked back at him just as intently. "I'm not sure yet. By the end of the day, I'm not sure I'll be able to deal with much more … I do want to be with you all, but I don't think I can just …" He stopped, not sure how to say what he felt.

Ron reached over and gripped his best friends' hand. "As long as you keep trying, it'll be okay. Ease back into it, if that's what you need to do. I'm here if you need me, mate."

"Thanks, Ron." Harry gave a sigh of relief. He already felt that by the time he had dealt with classes all day and then entering the pensieve in the evening, he would want nothing more than his own quiet place in the depths of the castle. In fact, he was looking forward to it.

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_A/N: Another round of thanks for all the wonderful reviews! You guys make my days when I open my mail and see the lovely words you share with me!_

_**Logicalquirk**…you rock!_

_And now a request; coming up in several chapters, there will be a Quidditch game between Slytherin and Gryffindor. Those kind of action scenes are a fun read, but one I am not equal to describing or writing. So here is a challenge of sorts. Take a shot at wriing this scene for me. Send it to my e-mail. I'll read them all and choose the best one to incorporate into the story. I can't say which side wins, that's up to you. I don't know yet if Harry will play…probably…but just write however you think it should go. Your collaborative efforts will be acknowledged when the chapter is posted! Thanks!_


	14. Chapter 14

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

_A/N: Remember all those warnings about coming disturbing scenes? This is it! Don't read if violence offends you!_

_((( ))) Pensieve scenes are within these symbols._

**Chapter 14**

Harry felt a deep apprehension as he walked slowly to Dumbledore's office. On the one hand, he had demanded to know what had occurred at the Grangers; he had insisted that he needed to know the details. On the other hand, Snape had warned him that what he saw would be worse than he had imagined. Merlin had even told him that he needed to trust that the adults around him would tell him what he needed to know, when he needed to know it. But this was different, wasn't it? This was a matter he could not just lay to rest on Snape's word. The man had been there. He had admitted to killing Ellen Granger. In his wildest imagination, Harry could not see how that was possible. He could not see the man he thought he knew do such a thing, just to protect his role as spy. Surely, he would have chosen friends over that. Yes, Snape had been a bastard to Harry since he had arrived at Hogwarts. Yes, Harry knew that it must have been difficult to balance on the sharp edge between Voldemort and Dumbledore. Yes, he understood that very important information had been gained through the years that the man had walked that line. But Harry also knew the man from this past summer; the man who had held him and made him feel safe; the man who had given him a taste of normal childhood; the man who shared a link of minds with him now. And Harry could not see, did not want to see, that there was still a very dark side to his teacher.

With a wave of his hand, the gargoyle leapt aside at the bottom of the spiral stairs leading up to Dumbledore's office. For a moment, Harry thought that it was probably wrong for him to enter without the password. But then he thought that if Dumbledore didn't like it, he would either tell Harry or strengthen his wards.

The massive oak door opened as Harry approached. He stood in the opening for a moment. Snape was standing next to the desk where the stone pensieve was shimmering. His face was grim when he looked at Harry. Dumbledore stood behind the desk, his eyes not twinkling, but looking rather sad at Harry's entrance.

"Harry, I must ask you to reconsider this. What you see may very well cause you more grief. Severus told me about the dream with Merlin … can't you just trust him that what was done was unavoidable?"

Harry stepped towards the desk. "I want to, Professor. But I can't … I can't wrap my head around how it could have gone so bad, how he could do it … I need to see it, if I hope to move past it."

Dumbledore nodded tiredly. "Then I will wait here."

Harry looked at Snape. He looked tired and much older than he had this morning. Harry almost felt sorry, almost backed away. But then he knew that he could never hope to trust him again until this was done.

As Harry watched, Snape put his wand to his temple and withdrew a thick stream of memory, dropping it into the pensieve. Harry was about to step closer, but Snape put the wand to his temple again, taking another memory and dropping it into the silver mix. Only after a third memory had been retrieved and added to the pensieve did Snape give him a nod.

Harry squared his shoulders and stepped to the side of the desk. Snape held his gaze for a moment and then they both bent their heads over and plunged into the near past.

OoOoOoOoOoO

((( Harry found himself standing beside Snape at in the middle of a forest clearing. They were surrounded by Death Eaters, their attention focused seemingly on them. Then Harry saw that there was a man, woman and child in the middle of the circle, and that's where the Death Eater's were focused. Snape put a hand on Harry's shoulder and steered him to the side.

Harry looked up at him. "This isn't the Grangers … why are we here? I want to see –"

"To understand that part, you must understand the rest. I would never have wanted to show anyone this outside Albus. But you have made it impossible for me to explain it to you unless you see first hand what happens when the Dark Lord is in the mood for entertainment; what Death Eaters are capable of."

Harry's blood ran cold. He had not expected this. "But –"

"We will not be here long. Just long enough for you to get the idea."

He inclined his head back to the scene in front of them.

An Imperius had been cast on the man and he was slowly moving towards his child. With a blank expression, he began to take each arm in his hands and break it over his knee. The child screamed. The woman screamed. The man moved on to the child's legs.

When the Imperious was lifted and the man saw what he had done, he screamed, too, trying to gather the broken child in his arms. The child had gone beyond screaming and into shock, her lips bluish and her eyes staring.

Another hex had the man and woman bound spread-eagled on the ground. A Death Eater kicked the child aside and knelt beside the man. A quick slash of his wand rendered the man without eyelids to close against the sight of his wife, as one by one, the Death Eaters relentlessly brutalized her. Her screams faded long before they were done, her eyes dead in a body that was torn, bloody, and broken. )))

Harry turned and vomited, his hands on his knees as he heaved. A cold wet handkerchief was pressed against his forehead, an arm around his middle supporting him. He let himself sag against Snape until the nausea passed. When he stood upright again, the scene had changed.

He wiped his mouth with the handkerchief and looked up at Snape. "Was it necessary to show me the worst?"

Snape regarded him coldly. "That was far from the worst."

Harry blanched and broke eye contact, trying to get control of his roiling insides.

((( The scene was now one of a pub. Harry knew that it was Muggle because of the type of clothing worn and he noted the television mounted high in a corner, showing a sporting event. Before he could ask what they were doing here, he saw Martin Granger seated in at a table against a far wall. He looked up and broke into a wide grin, greeting a tall, dark-haired man that approached him. Harry was surprised to see Snape, wearing the Muggle slacks and shirt that he had worn whenever they visited the Grangers last spring. The two men shook hands and Martin motioned a waitress to bring a drink for Snape.

Harry went to stand beside the table, curious to see what the two were doing.

Martin spoke. "It's great to see you again, Severus. Are we here to play chess, or is there something else?"

"I wish it could be for chess, Martin." Snape glanced around the pub, sharp eyes scanning for anything out of the ordinary. He took a quick sip of the drink that the waitress set down and looked at Martin for a long moment. Then he asked, "Has your daughter ever spoken to you about a dark wizard?"

"You mean Voldemort?" Martin asked innocently.

Some of Snape's drink sloshed over the rim as he set his glass down with a bang. His jaw was clenched and Martin hastened to apologize. "Sorry, I forgot how Hermione said some react to the name. She says it easily enough."

Snape drew in a breath. "Some of us cannot say it at all, or hear it without distress."

"Severus, I …"

"Never mind that now. Yes, I am speaking of him when I say dark wizard. He is a power-hungry evil man who is intent on ruling the wizarding world."

"Yes, Hermione and Ron said as much when they told us a little about how he killed Harry's parents and was still trying to kill him."

"I expected that they might, after all that's happened." He regarded Martin through half-closed eyes as he nursed the drink again. "But what I have to tell you may be worse."

Martin sat forward. "Is Hermione in danger from him? Should we bring her home?"

Snape shook his head. "She is as safe at Hogwarts as anywhere. I'm talking about you and Ellen."

"What do you mean? Why would he want anything to do with us?"

"Your daughter is one of Harry's best friends. She is Muggleborn and that alone is enough in the Dark Lord's opinion. Being her parents and outside of Hogwarts's protection, it's possible that you could be a target for him."

Martin sipped at his own drink and waited for Snape to continue. "Do you recall the blond wizard family you met at the theatre?"

"How could I forget? They were most unpleasant. I could see there was no love lost between them and the kids."

"Yes, well, Lucius Malfoy is one of the Dark Lord's closest. He hates any who are not pure-blood, and has a sadistic streak as wide as the English Channel. He suspects that I was not just following Dumbledore's orders when I accompanied Harry to the theatre. He has long doubted my loyalty to the Dark Lord and has been planting doubt in the Dark Lord's mind."

Martin sat back, a stunned look on his face. "You are one of them? One of his followers?"

Snape leaned forward and whispered fiercely, "I am _not_ any longer! I am acting as a spy so we might gain information about his plans and movements."

Martin relaxed marginally and sighed. "For a moment you had me worried, my friend."

"Do not be at ease, Martin. There are others out there spying for his side as well." He took a longer drink and then looked Martin in the eye "There's something I must tell you, and you must believe me when I say that I do not give you this information lightly. You have been more friend than I have ever had, even among my own kind. I never would have thought it possible to have so much to talk about with a …"

"Muggle," Martin supplied with a grin.

Harry was astonished to see a brief genuine grin split Snape's face. He almost missed what came next in his surprise.

"Harry has had a dream concerning you and Ellen."

"A dream? What kind of dream?"

"It may be nothing, but I have learned that where Harry is concerned, it is better to err on the safe side. He has not had this type of dream before, but he is worried, and with what I know of the Dark Lord and Malfoy, it is prudent that I give you warning."

Martin signaled the waitress for another round and the men waited until she had delivered them before settling closer together across the table.

"Harry's dream was that the Dark Lord himself came to your home. He is brutal, as are his followers. It was not complete, but the dream indicated that you both suffer greatly. If it were to come true, it is certain that you will be killed."

Martin looked frightened at that. "So you can't be sure that it was a dream that will come true … perhaps the stress of the summer and all, the boy has been through a great deal …"

"Martin, listen to me. I cannot make you leave your home. But I can tell you enough so that you understand what you'll be up against, should this come to pass." The black eyes drilled into Martin. "If they come, they will torture you before they kill you. The kind of torture they used cannot be imagined. They are without mercy and they delight in the pain they can cause. If they come, there will be no escape. The only thing you can do is try to hasten the end." He was breathing heavily as he paused to make sure Martin was listening. "They anger easily. Your best shot at mercy would be to agitate them until they lose control and kill you faster."

Martin stared into his drink for a long time and Snape remained silent. When he looked back at Snape, there was denial in his face. "There's only a slight possibility that this will happen."

Snape rubbed a hand over his face and then gazed at his friend in resignation. "I truly do not know. I only know that I have to warn you, to try and make you believe that you must take this seriously. You need to prepare Ellen. The women always get the worst. I know it will be difficult to tell her, but you must, Martin. She should be warned. If it never happens, then you can blame me for any nightmares you have as a result of this talk. If it does …"

Martin reached across the table and grasped Snape's hand firmly. "It won't happen, Severus. What would he want with us? Why would he bother?"

"Because he can," Snape said softly. )))

The scene began to fade and Harry turned to Snape. "You warned them. When did you warn them?"

He sighed. "About a week into school. I had been thinking about it, and how I felt about the Grangers … I started thinking about how your abilities had been developing and that it _was_ likely to be a dream of premonition." He looked down at Harry as the new scene began to form around them. "If you are convinced about my motives, there's no need to see the rest."

"I still need to, Severus," Harry answered quietly. "I'm sorry, but I still need to know what happened."

Snape nodded. "You should know that this first part, before I arrived, is directly from Martin's mind. He let me see what had transpired once he realized it was me. He had not had a chance, or perhaps the inclination to speak to Ellen …" He stopped as the scene began to unfold before them.

((( The front and back doors exploded inward simultaneously, black-robed and gruesomely masked figures speeding into the house. Martin Granger was in his study, Ellen Granger in the kitchen.

Surprise was quickly replaced by resolve in Martin's face. He had to get to his wife. He made a dash toward the sounds of her scream, but was stopped by the words _Petrificus Totalis._

He felt his body being levitated to the living room, where he caught a glimpse of his terrified wife when he moved past her. He wished he had spent more time explaining to her the things that Severus had told him. He had told her only a little; most of it was too awful to casually discuss. He had been counting on the hope that they would not be targeted as Severus feared. It looked like he had been wrong. He should have had his plan better thought out. They were defenseless against these wizards. He should have told her, so she would be prepared to do what she must to escape the deeds they had planned before they finally killed them both.

Severus had told him of the atrocities these Death Eaters were famous for. Martin had been shocked; surely those kinds of things had stopped when Hitler's regime had been stopped, when the concentration camps had been discovered and dismantled at the end of World War II. Severus had assured him that these atrocities were worse than any the Muggle history books could describe.

Their captors stood silently on guard, merely seeming to wait for something. Martin could hear Ellen sniffing, and her breathing was audibly deep and controlled.

Martin thought through his options, wondering if he was deluding himself to think that he had options at all. Probably … most certainly. Realizing this, he concentrated on sending his wife loving thoughts, saying goodbye to her and his only child, praying that the end would be swift and the mess left behind not too great for Hermione to overcome and move onward from. He tried to project his love to Ellen, willing her to be strong and show these monsters what true class really was.

He was repeating his prayers when there was a stirring among the robed men. They were moving apart and another robed figure came into Martin's line of vision. If he had been able to shudder, he would have. This man had no mask, but Martin could not have envisioned a more hideous one. Hairless, skin mottled to resemble the scales of a snake, slits in the middle of the face instead of a nose … and the red eyes that were alight with madness. Martin instantly recognized him as the Dark Lord Severus had told him about, the one who was determined to overtake the wizarding world and then the world itself.

It was Voldemort, the one who had killed Harry's parents and left him an orphan dependent on the Muggle relatives who had abused him.

"Sso, these are the Muggle parentss who sspawned the Mudblood who is brighter than your sson, Luciuss?" The voice was sly and soft.

A man to the right of Voldemort ripped off his own hood and mask, revealing the wizard with white-blond hair that the Grangers had seen in Diagon Alley and then at the theatre this past spring.

Lucius Malfoy glared at Martin as he growled, "_Not_ brighter, not by any stretch of imagination. Their spawn has been lucky, that's all. Once these Muggles are out of the way, the Mudblood will leave Hogwarts and Draco will be the uncontested best."

Martin would have smiled, but even though he was unable to, it seemed that both wizards read his thoughts … _'My daughter is worth more than the whole lot of you … she's brilliant, and you know it or you wouldn't feel so threatened …'_

Malfoy lifted the Petrificus hex and shot an agonizing bolt of pain into Martin's midsection at the same time. Martin doubled over, falling into a heap on the floor. He bit back a cry of pain, knowing it would further enrage them that he kept silent in the face of their taunts and torment. With a strength he gathered from deep down, he pushed himself upright, facing them again.

Ellen had uttered a small scream when he had gone to the floor and now their leering attention was on her as well. Hands gripped her with cruel harshness, biting into her flesh.

Voldemort whirled around, his robes floating eerily around him, as if his feet didn't even touch the floor when he moved. He sat down in Martin's easy chair, looking for all the world like a spectator about to witness a delicious drama. His tongue snaked out to wet his nonexistent lips and he motioned to the hooded figures.

Martin and Ellen were forced to their knees in the middle of the floor, surrounded by the black-robed and masked men.

Voldemort spoke again, his voice a deadly quiet, with emphasis on the hissing of the 's' sounds.

"Muggles are ssuch trusting petss, never believing the worst in anyone. You sshouldn't have trusted the traitor, whoever he iss. Now you will pay for it with your lives. Of coursse, not before we show you just what power we are capable of. Just think, one day, your Mudblood daughter may even come begging to join my rankss, eager to know the glory of my domination."

He gave a nod to one of the masked men and they dragged Martin away into the other room, while Ellen screamed his name hoarsely.

Voldemort looked down at her, a parody of sadness on his face. "I'll sspare him the agony of an overly long death if you will but tell me who the traitor iss. Who is the one who bringss my enemy to your housse?"

Ellen made a visible effort to stop her crying, but could not stop herself from the violent trembling that had overtaken her. In a shaking voice, she whispered, "No one is a traitor who stands up to fight you. We may not understand everything about your world, but we know enough that the good people don't want your domination. They will defeat you."

One of the masked Death Eaters caught her up and slammed a fist into her mouth. "Do not dare to speak to our Lord that way, you Muggle whore!" He let her go to sprawl on the floor weeping, blood running freely from her mouth.

In the other room, Martin was screaming his wife's name …

Snape materialized into the kitchen of the Granger house, his hand holding tightly to the burning brand on his arm. For a moment, his eyes widened as he recognized his surroundings. Just as quickly, he shielded his thoughts, pushing down any thoughts that might betray him to the Dark Lord.

Martin was being held against the kitchen table by an invisible binding charm, one Death Eater slowly slicing the man's shirt away with his wand. Another was examining the array of knives that the Grangers had in their kitchen. He was laying them out side by side as he selected the ones he planned to use. He merely looked up briefly when Snape materialized.

A flare of recognition lit Martin's eyes when they met Snape's black ones, and then he wiped his expression clear of it. From their discussions, he knew what Snape was; what he did in an attempt to keep the Light informed about the Dark Lord's movements. He knew that if it came to this, Snape would not be able to help them. To do so might put Hermione and her friends in more danger. If Snape was discovered to be a spy against Voldemort and a friend to Muggles as well, his life would be worthless; and then everyone else associated with it would be a bigger target. He would not, could not, act upon the friendship that had surprised them both so much. Looking into his eyes, Snape saw all that had happened since the Death Eaters had arrived.

Snape had spared no detail about what entertainments a Death Eater Revel might include. He had encouraged Martin to tell Ellen whatever he had to, whatever he felt she could handle, in order to explain the need to have a plan of escape. Martin had not got around to it yet, not because he didn't think Ellen was strong enough to hear such awful tortures described, but because he could not bear the thought of telling her that the only escape would be to achieve a quicker death than what the Death Eaters would grant.

Martin looked into the onyx bright eyes with a feverish intensity. Holding the stare, Martin said to the room in general, "You leave my wife out of this. Let her go; do what you want to me, but she doesn't deserve to be hurt."

One of the other masked men laughed at the request, "All Muggles deserve to be hurt. You deserve to be treated like the animals you are. You're less than human with your inferior blood. You're fit only for our pleasure."

Snape heard the plea in Martin's voice, and in his choice of words he heard him say that he had not prepared Ellen for this. If he had, he wouldn't have dared to say anything that might give away the fact they knew each other.

The Death Eater stepped closer to Martin, sneering menacingly into his face. "We hunt you for sport. We will use your wife until nothing is left. You are nothing but the dirt beneath our feet …"

Martin clenched his jaw, never letting his gaze waver from Snape's as the man whispered obscenities to him. Snape stood there for a long moment. Martin gave him one last pleading look that he quickly changed to loathing, as he spat in the face of the Death Eater who was only inches from him.

A scream from the other room jerked Snape's attention away from Martin. As he turned toward the living room, he winced at the sound of the Death Eater's fist hitting Martin's jaw. Snape knew he could do nothing more than Martin was already doing to try and get the Death Eaters to lose control and act quickly to end his life. Martin had put the speed with which Ellen met her end in Snape's hands.

Striding into the living room, he stopped upon seeing the Dark Lord himself sitting in Martin's chair.

"Ah-h-h Sseveruss … my most faithful Potionss Masster. I was afraid you would not be in time to witnesss the demise of these particular Muggless."

Snape went down on one knee, clasping in his the hand that Voldemort extended. "My Lord, I would not miss any event that you put such import in. I strive to serve you and you alone." He bent over the cold fingers in subservient adoration. He felt the sharp probe of the Dark Lord's Legilimency, sifting his thoughts, searching for hints of lies, signs of treachery, among the planted visions of obedience and loyalty.

After a long moment, Voldemort withdrew his hand and the mind probe and spoke again, "You are indeed my most faithful … I choosse to reward you … you may have the Muggle woman firsst."

Malfoy gave a loud hiss. "_I_ found these Muggles, my Lord! Their offspring is a bane to my own son and I would have the satisfaction of their pain and death –"

His voice seemed to catch in his throat when Voldemort flicked a hand at him. "You dare to question who _I_ reward?" Malfoy managed to shake his head, even as his face began to purple from lack of oxygen. "I have always given you due reward, Lucius, have I not?" Along-nailed finger caressed the blue cheek. "You may have her next, and choose whether you are her last." A casual wave released Malfoy from the choking hex that had closed his throat.

Malfoy rubbed his throat as he glared at Snape with icy grey eyes. Snape returned it silently and then turned to the woman who was shaking violently. He could have removed his mask, but he knew that Ellen would react to seeing him. Ignoring the glare from Malfoy and the anticipation in Voldemort's eyes, Snape went down on his knees beside her. Her mouth was bleeding where she had been struck and he avoided the blood as he straddled her, forcing her back on the floor. He put his hands on her cheeks, spreading his fingers along her jaw line. She whimpered as he brought his head down to hers, placing his mouth close to her ear.

As he moved his hands into an anchored position, he whispered, his words only for her ears, "Forgive me, Ellen."

No one else saw the look of surprised recognition in her eyes. Before there could be any other reaction or objection from Malfoy, Snape tightened his grip and swiftly jerked her head to the side, snapping her neck and severing her spinal cord.

At the sound of the breaking vertebrae, Malfoy let out an outraged howl. He grabbed the back of Snape's robe and hauled him back off the dead woman. "She was to be _mine_! You _stole_ her death from me!" Spinning Snape around, he let a hard fist fly into his jaw, once, and then again. He then drew his wand, pointing it at Snape and issuing a vicious Cruciatus curse, sending Snape into spasms of agony.

Voldemort was just as amused at the reaction of Malfoy as he would have been at the torture and death of Ellen Granger. He did not care how these menial deaths were accomplished, and the discord amongst his followers only assured that they would not band together against him. Their inability to share in rewards and their jealousy of the rewards given to fellow Death Eaters prevented them from forming any mutinous bonds.

Malfoy shoved Snape away and stormed to the kitchen where Martin Granger was stoically enduring the attentions of the Death Eater with a knife fascination. Malfoy pulled his wand and yelled furiously, "_Avada_ _Kedavra_!" ending Martin's ordeal and sending him on to join his wife.

Snape moved to stand beside the Dark Lord's chair, knowing that his restraint in the face of Malfoy's tantrum only raised his status as the most trusted and loyal of Voldemort's followers.

At another signal from Voldemort, Martin Granger's body was dragged from the kitchen to lie beside his wife. Voldemort whispered, "Another cleansing accomplished, my friends. These will no longer trouble us with the threat of more Mudblood spawn. Burn the house."

Multiple wands touched off sparks that became small flames before converging into a bonfire in the living room. Death Eaters followed Voldemort as he Apparated away. Snape stood alone in the living room, allowing himself to imprint the image of his murdered friends in his mind. In case Voldemort's mind lingered, he avoided the temptation of feeling any remorse as he looked down at the two people who had come to mean so much to him this past summer.

The fire was growing rapidly and he bent down quickly to remove Ellen's rings. Putting them into a pocket of his robe, he traced a tear away from her cold cheek. Then he placed her hand in Martin's. Stepping back, he Apparated outside the house.

_Morsmordre_ already hung in the heavy thunderclouds above. He stood back in the trees, hidden from any Muggles who would begin to arrive to try and put out the fire, and from Aurors who would respond to the alarm set off by the casting of Malfoy's killing curse, and the sign of Voldemort above.

Behind his mask, he allowed himself a single tear before drawing himself up into his usual towering stance. Holding out a hand to the burning house he whispered, "Accio …" )))

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO


	15. Chapter 15

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

**Chapter 15**

Harry felt himself pulled out of the pensieve. He stumbled and fell to his knees on the rug in front of Dumbledore's desk. Raking his hands back through his hair, he closed his eyes against the tears that fell down his cheeks anyway. How could he have doubted Severus? He realized now that the man had been keeping the details from him not out of malice, but because the details _were_ more horrible than anything imaginable. Now Harry had forced him to relive it all, just to satisfy his own need to be informed. He had pushed him away, believing the worst, not accepting the explanations he tried to give.

He opened his eyes to see Dumbledore peering down at him in concern. The Headmaster held out a helping hand to Harry and Harry allowed him to bring him to his feet. Snape stood leaning against the mantle of the fireplace, his forehead resting on his hands as he gripped the mantle with white-knuckled fingers.

Harry heard the door to the office close softly behind Dumbledore as he left them alone.

Snape heaved a heavy sigh, putting a hand against his lower back. Turning away from the fireplace, he sat gingerly in an armchair. Harry stood staring at him until Snape tiredly motioned him to sit in the other chair nearby. Harry opened his mouth to speak several times, but the words wouldn't come. Finally, he opened the link.

'_I'm so sorry I made you go through that again … I'm sorry I didn't understand …'_

'_Stop, Harry. Just stop.'_ Snape had his head in his hands, elbows on his knees_. 'I should've tried to tell you what happened and why, in a way you would have understood. Instead, I held it all inside, making it my punishment to feel your anger and mistrust; telling myself I deserve every bit of pain the memories bring.'_

'_You tried to warn them. Why didn't you tell me?'_

'_I didn't want you to think I saw yet another ability in you that would bring you pain. I wanted it to be untrue, to be just a normal nightmare for a normal boy. I was trying to protect you.'_

'_Severus … I'm not normal and I doubt I ever will be … in case you haven't noticed.'_

That earned Harry a small smirk. _'Yes, I do believe I had realized that.'_

Harry just wanted to have things back the way they were in the summer. He had missed Severus desperately and now that he knew the truth about the Grangers, he felt the hollowness even more. He was almost willing to follow any schedule the man might dream up, just to feel the closeness again. Being back in class and going through the pensieve had only intensified the depth of the chasm between them.

Snape sat wondering what was going through Harry's mind. While he was not actively keeping himself from hearing Harry's thoughts, he felt that he should give the boy privacy to make his own decision about their relationship. As for himself, there was a part that had been missing ever since Harry had run away. He had grown used to the silent conversations, the innocent closeness that they shared. When classes had started, he had overcompensated, trying not to let his feelings show, trying to go back to being the black bat from hell to the students and to Harry. He had wanted to be back in a familiar comfort zone, hidden behind his black robes, but it had gone wrong, alienating Harry. When they had needed each other the most, they had pushed each other away in the midst of horrendous misunderstanding.

He opened exhausted eyes when he felt a tentative hand on his arm. Harry was on his knees beside the chair.

When he saw Snape look at him he fisted his hand in the sleeve of his robe, gripping it tightly. Green eyes that were full of unshed tears met obsidian ones that were full of untold pain from past deeds and mistakes. Harry breathed raggedly, _'I need you … can we try again?'_

In a moment, Snape was on his knees beside Harry, gathering him close, and Harry was wrapping his arms around the man's waist. Snape bent his head to the top of Harry's head, threading fingers in the boy's hair as he held the head against his chest. He had missed this; the closeness of a child, the attachment he had gained with Harry during the summer.

Harry was shaking with emotion and he began to babble through the link, _'I'll do whatever you say, whatever schedule you set, I promise … just don't let us lose this again … I can't do it again, be without you –'_

Snape sat back, gripping Harry's face between his hands. Looking into his eyes he growled, "We will do it together this time. We will listen to each other. Whatever needs to be done, we will figure it out. I won't forget what Merlin told me; you need freedom, as well as restraint. You need me to be more than a teacher and I promise I will try to do it. But I _need_ you to trust me. I did not want you to see all that," he indicated the pensieve with his head. "I understand that you needed to know, but now, I need you to let _me_ decide what's best for you to know."

Harry started to protest and Snape gave him a firm shake, "Harry, there has been so much that you have had to deal with on your own. I know it's hard to let someone else help you, but you need to let me. There is still so much for you to learn, so far we must go before you will be ready to face the Dark Lord. I'm supposed to teach you, but I'm also supposed to protect you. _Let me!"_

Harry grabbed Snape around the middle again, hugging him fiercely. "I'll try. Just don't stop liking me again."

"I never stopped liking you, foolish boy!" He held Harry back so that he could look into his eyes again. "Remember what I told you back in the summer? What you told me?"

Harry leaned his forehead against Snape's. He whispered, "I love you, Severus."

Snape whispered back, "And I love you, Harry."

Harry sent out healing waves through his hands, into Snape's back, wanting to show him what he meant to him, wanting to help him feel better. Snape wrapped his arms around Harry again, soaking up the closeness, remembering how Merlin had said he had to be more than teacher; a friend and father as well. He could do this. How could he not? It was the only way for Harry to fulfill his prophecy. First Snape had to fulfill the prophecy made for himself. He had to be the sentinel of the mind of the Light.

After a while, they sat back; Harry smiling and Snape with a satisfied expression. Harry was tired after the long day and he could feel that Snape was exhausted as well. But he didn't want it to be over.

Snape reached out and ruffled Harry's hair. "You should go back to Gryffindor. It's almost curfew."

Harry lost the smile and got up slowly. Holding out a hand, he assisted Snape to get up off the floor. Snape picked up his ebony cane, leaning on it as he stretched the muscles that had stiffened in his back. Harry winced at the popping cracks the man's joints made.

He hesitated a moment and then asked, "Do you want to see where I've been staying? I was going to go back there tonight."

Snape frowned down at him. "You don't wish to resume your place in the dormitory?"

"It's not that I don't want to … I just need to balance it with time alone. I've been with people all day. I've got homework to do and I'm used to doing it there. I don't think I can concentrate anywhere else."

Snape gave Harry's statement silent consideration. "You really want me to know where it is you've been all this time?"

Harry gave a too casual shrug. "If I say that I trust you, but my actions say otherwise, then I would be lying. So yeah, I want you to come see it … if you're not too tired with your back and all …"

"Your healing touch has helped it feel better than it has all day. I believe I can stand the walk."

Harry grinned and led his guardian out the door and towards the depths of the castle.

By the time they reached Harry's room, Snape was limping badly again. Harry led him directly to the settee. Snape leaned back into the corner with a sigh and pulled his legs up to rest on the settee.

Once settled, he looked around curiously. He had expected that the place Harry was staying to be dismal and dirty. He was surprised at how it was in reality. His gaze took in the bookcase, large work table, and carved arm chair. He could see a stack of parchment spread out on the table where Harry had been working on it. On the stone walls, he noted the tapestry of the stag and then the labyrinth.

He studied the latter, and Harry explained, "That's what I've been using whenever I need to Occlude. It centers my mind to the exclusion of everything else."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "It seems that you came across an ancient form of meditation. Labyrinths have been used for centuries as a way for one to consciously let go of their burdens. One is supposed to bear them as they travel to the center, leave them there, and exit in a more relaxed state of mind."

Harry tipped his head in thought as he gazed at the tapestry. "I just let my mind follow the paths. I let that be all there is, all I see; just moving in and out. When I fall asleep, it's like I set it on constant replay."

"Constant what?"

"Muggle term … means it just keeps repeating itself over and over."

"I see. You've been practicing your Occlusion using this."

"Yeah." Harry turned to look at Snape. "It's okay, isn't it? I didn't mess up what you want to teach me, did I?"

"I would say that you've done very well on your own. We will test it soon to see just how strong your method is." The black eyes glittered in anticipation.

Harry shuddered. "You mean Legilimency, don't you?"

Snape leaned forward. "Harry, I don't look forward to breaking into your thoughts as I did before. I have to know how strong your way is, to see where our work lies. I am simply curious about this and I anticipate that you will show me great progress. We will be working _together_."

Harry nodded silently. After a moment, he asked, "Do you mind if I start on my homework while you rest? I'm ahead, and I want to stay that way … except for History, that is." He grimaced as he said that, remembering how that was the subject that had started their fight and separation.

Snape realized this too and settled back against Harry's cushions. "Go ahead. I'll just rest a while longer before I return to my own quarters." He watched as Harry gathered his History book and parchment, spreading them out on the table. He watched the back of the messy head as Harry bent to reading the text and took notes on the parchment. After thinking for a few minutes, he spoke softly, "Harry, perhaps it would help if you think of History as an opportunity to look back at strategies of war."

Harry turned in his chair and looked at Snape in question. "What do you mean?"

Shifting slightly, Snape pulled his robe over to cover his legs against the chill. "I realize that Professor Binns leaves a lot to be desired as a teacher, but he does know History. There is much to learn concerning the past, particularly the wars fought between wizards and their enemies. Winning strategies were ignored, and it led to failure in some cases. When battles were won, it was because the victor planned accordingly, taking into account his enemies strengths and weaknesses. We have battles ahead of us, a war to win. Try to think of History as a way of discovering strategies that may be useful against the Dark Lord and his followers."

Harry nodded slowly and turned back to his book and parchment thoughtfully.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

When Snape awoke, he sat up quickly, drawing his wand, aware that he was in unfamiliar territory. A quick sweep of his surroundings had him relaxing. He was on the settee in Harry's room and must have fallen asleep while watching him. Harry was no longer sitting at the table and Snape swung his legs around to stand up. Just in time, he noticed that Harry was asleep on the floor beside the settee. He had piled up some old robes and had used his own as a blanket. Snape realized that he had been covered with Harry's blanket before he dislodged it when sitting up. A look at the window indicated that it must be the middle of the night. Gathering up the blanket, he laid it over Harry, tucking it in under his chin. Pulling his robe around himself, he settled back, content to be here.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Harry woke up to the familiar colored lights shining on his face from the stained glass window. Sitting up, he saw that Snape was gone, but there was a note on parchment on the settee.

Harry,

I'm glad we are back on better terms. I'll see you in the Great Hall.

Severus

As far as heartfelt words went, this was lacking, but it was from Severus. Harry folded it carefully and put it into an inside pocket. After giving himself a once-over with a wave of his hands, he felt cleaner and his robes weren't as rumpled. He gathered up his books and homework and stuffed them into his bag. With a lightheartedness he had not felt in … well he hadn't felt this way in forever … he made his way towards the Great Hall and breakfast.

Ron and Hermione looked up as Harry sat down between them. Ron leaned in. "You didn't stay in Gryffindor last night. I thought you would after being back in class yesterday."

Harry shrugged. "I needed to be away. It was a little overwhelming with everyone asking questions."

Hermione sighed. "I know what you mean. But today has to be better, right? Now the shock has worn off about both of us being back. I just want to be back in the routine again."

Harry put an arm around her shoulder. "Sorry, 'Mione. It's not exactly fair that you had to face it all and I had a place to escape to."

"Are you joking? I know the best places in the library to hide. I think I'm just about the only one who really studies there. Madame Pince lets me sit in a hidden section when I'm alone."

Harry felt better knowing his best female friend had a place to hide when she wanted to be away from everyone.

Classes passed without incident, other than a few loud mutters of discontent heard from some upper year Slytherins. The professors quietly welcomed both Hermione and Harry back, seeming to be sensitive to their desire to avoid attention.

It was at lunch that a few Slytherins finally decided to brave the Gryffindor table. A group of sixth and seventh years approached with decided malice in their faces.

Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson headed the bunch and they kept their voices low.

"We don't know how either of you managed it, coming back like nothing has happened, like you own the school. But we all know you for what you are, and you won't get away with it." Pansy's eyes were flashing.

Hermione was about to stand up when Harry's hand kept her firmly in her seat as he stood to face them. "Exactly what is it that you think we are, Parkinson?"

"Favorites of the Headmaster, do-gooders who are allowed to get away with anything."

Harry pressed, "What is it that we are supposed to have gotten away with?"

Pansy opened her mouth and Blaise leaned in, "You skip classes for weeks, Potter, and just waltz back like you own the place" He sneered at Hermione. "And this Mud – girl – doesn't deserve to even be here at all."

Harry caught Draco's eye as he was coming up behind the other Slytherins. His face was stormy and he looked like he wanted to hex the lot of his house. Harry gave him a brief shake of his head. Draco narrowed his eyes, but didn't come closer.

Harry looked between Zabini and Parkinson. "Why doesn't she belong here? Because you have some distorted, sick idea of your bloodline being better? That's crap, just like your purebloodedness. She's smarter than all of you put together, and if it's because she's Muggleborn, then I'll take her as a friend anytime. Your blood is so intermingled your brains are fried –"

"Potter! That's enough." Snape's voice halted anything else Harry would have added. He looked around to see the furious black eyes searing him where he stood.

"But, sir –"

"I said that's enough. If you say anything else, I'll take fifty points from Gryffindor. If you've finished breakfast, I suggest you leave for class at once." The harsh voice indicated no mood for argument, but Harry glared at him for a long moment before turning back to the table and gathering his things.

Hermione and Ron hurried to gather their own books and followed Harry as he stalked out of the Hall.

The Slytherin group wore self-satisfied smirks until Snape turned to face them. "House meeting this evening in the common room. I'll take twenty points per person for anyone who is not present."

He whirled away and Pansy said sulkily, "But sir, you never take points from your own house."

In a flash of black he was looming over her until she cringed back into the group. "Do not test that assumption, Miss Parkinson. You will be very sorry if you do." His eyes were flashing as he turned away from them once more and made his way back to the head table.

He sighed heavily when he sat down. Through the link, he sought Harry. _'You were doing well until you began insulting their bloodlines.'_

'_Yeah? Well you shouldn't have stopped me. You should've let me sort it out and get it over with'_

'_They will not be sorted out by you. I will handle it.'_

There was silence for a moment and Snape could sense Harry's ire at his words.

'_Is this one of those times when I'm supposed to let you do what you think is best?'_

'_It is exactly that.'_

After another few moments, Harry grudgingly replied, _'Alright, I guess. But you should know that Draco wasn't part of the group. He looked ready to hex them himself.'_

'_My powers of observation have not been damaged, Harry. I did notice that for myself.'_

'_Okay, then … Are we still okay?'_

'_Why would we not be?'_

'_You seemed pretty mad at me.'_

'_I am. Your Gryffindor mouth tends to get ahead of your brain. They were trying to provoke you, and you were letting them.'_

'_Kinda hard not to when they were insulting one of my best friends.'_

'_We will have to discuss a better strategy for you to use when this kind of circumstance arises. Go on to class now. We'll talk later.'_

'_Promise?'_

'_You have my word. Come to my quarters for dinner.'_

'_Okay.'_

Harry relaxed and Hermione noticed the tension leave him as they walked. "Were you talking to Professor Snape?"

"Yeah. He's going to handle the Slytherins. He wants me to stay out of it."

Ron said, "That's probably for the best, right?"

"I guess. But it's not as satisfying as telling the buggers off myself."

The Trio laughed as they walked on towards Charms.

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_A/N 1: Several of you have asked in your reviews what it was that Snape accio'd as the Granger's house burned…well, my friends, I believe that information will be kept until such a time as Snape reveals his role in her parents death to Hermione. That may not happen in this story…probably the next, when that relationship will finally have a chance at evolving! Don't hate me! Just keep reading and feeding the muse with your tasty reviews!_

_A/N 2: My wonderful beta logicalquirk is on a deserved vacation. I have just a few chapters back from her that I can post, but I will be spacing them out so I won't have any huge gaps._

_A/N 3: Don't forget to send me a Quidditch match if you are so inclined. As I said before, Harry may, or may not actually be playing, but Draco definitely will. I will adapt whatever is sent so it fits with the storyline, so just help me with all that wonderful Quidditch action stuff! Of course, I'll put your name in "lights" if I choose your lines!_

_Thanks!_


	16. Chapter 16

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 16:

As the weeks passed further into the colder weather of Autumn, Dumbledore announced that Halloween would be celebrated with a Masked Ball. It became difficult for the students to concentrate on studies when they were much more interested in masks and costumes. Quidditch practice had geared up in anticipation of the first match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. The Gryffindor team had finally talked Harry into resuming his place on the team and he was determined that their faith in him would not be misplaced.

Snape had taken to joining Harry in his room in the evenings, where he would grade papers and make lesson plans while Harry wrote his essays and studied or read. Before he went back to his quarters, they would go into Harry's practice room and Harry would practice intensive defense while Snape threw curses and hexes at him.

After one such evening, Snape clapped Harry on the back. "You are doing well with this. I believe we might add another opponent to your duel practice. You will likely face more than one enemy at a time, after all."

Harry took a large gulp of water from a ready goblet before responding. "I think I'm ready for that. Who will it be? Ron and Hermione would probably help."

"I was thinking of a more adept opponent … someone who is not first a friend to you."

Harry's breathing was slowing down as he looked up at his teacher. "Who, then?"

"Draco. He has the most talent at dueling for a student. He has dueled you before, and knows what to expect. He won't likely go easy on you." He watched Harry to see how he felt about the suggestion.

Harry wiped his face on a towel and then draped it around his neck. "Yeah. He would be good. But will he do it?"

They walked side-by-side back to Harry's room. Snape said, "He is looking forward to it. I asked him yesterday."

"Well thanks for asking me how I felt about it first," Harry said sarcastically.

Snape halted and face him. "Do you trust that I have your best interests in mind?"

Harry started to answer and then closed his mouth. He walked over to the tapestry of the stag. Leaning his head against it, he sighed. "You know I do. It would be nice to think you wanted my opinion before you asked him, that's all."

A strong hand laid itself on his shoulder and he heard Snape's voice close to his ear. "I apologize for not asking you first. I was inspired to ask Draco after thinking about how the Slytherins have been snarling at him lately. They have noticed how uninvolved he is in gaining the upper hand over Gryffindor. He needs to have an anchor if I hope to get him to make the right decision regarding his future."

Harry turned back to Snape. "I believe he will make the right choice. But you're right. He needs to be a part of this. He's also good at dueling, and he would probably love to have the chance to hex me without getting in trouble for it. If he wants to do it, I agree."

Snape looked Harry in the eye closely for a moment before nodding. He turned and gathered up his papers. Taking up the cane he still needed to use for long walks, he went to the door. Turning back to Harry, he said, "Sleep well."

Harry raised a hand in good-bye. "You too. See you at breakfast." He closed the door after Snape left, leaning on it in thought. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about Draco joining the sparring practice. Sure, they had shared a lot of deep secrets with each other, but did that mean Harry should trust him? He trusted Severus, so in the end he decided he had to trust Draco.

A few nights later, Harry was in his room reading when Snape called to him. _'Harry, I'd like to start your duel practice with Draco tonight.'_

Harry came to his feet. _'Are you bringing him here? I don't want him to know where –'_

'_I am in an unused room beyond the dungeon classrooms. Would you come here this time?'_

With a breath expelled in relief, Harry answered, _'Yes, thanks. I'll come right now. I'm bringing my History essay. Could you look it over?'_

'_Of course. Did you find it less difficult this time?'_

Harry gathered up the essay, rolling it up tightly. He continued to talk through the link as he pulled on the Invisibility Cloak. _'Yeah, a little. I saw more of what you called strategy this time. I'm not sure I can always apply that angle to it though. Most of the time it just seems like useless dates to remember.'_

'_Perhaps there are patterns in the dates. You might find that certain incidents occurred during certain lunar cycles, particular planetary alignments. This gave them more power, or in some cases, less than was needed. The dates are important too.'_

Harry rolled his eyes as he walked towards the dungeons. _'Then why doesn't Binns just say that?'_

'Professor_ Binns does as he has always done. The unraveling of the significance of History is up to each student. You can keep going along being bored with it, or you can find a way to turn the knowledge to your advantage.'_

Remaining silent as he walked on, Harry thought about that. He hadn't exactly enjoyed this last History assignment, but it had been more interesting after Snape encouraged him to try and see it in a different light. If he had to take the subject, he might as well get the most out of it.

Harry sensed rather than knew where to find Snape. When he entered the empty room, he saw him in discussion with Draco. A pair of grey eyes sparkling with anticipation met his. Harry muttered, "You look entirely too eager for this.'

"We believe you can hold your own. But if you cannot, then we will know where our next work lies." Snape gave him an appraising look as he stood there in the doorway.

Harry dropped his essay on top of the cloak he had dropped in the floor. Snape warded the doorway against any others coming upon them. Harry circled the room, keeping the wall to his back. He could feel Draco's anticipation. He could feel Snape's eagerness to test him. The feelings made him nervous and he almost called through the link that he wasn't ready for this. But then, he remembered what Snape had said about facing more than one enemy at a time. He had to start somewhere in fighting more than just his teacher.

With that, he looked over the scene again. Snape had taken up a point by the door he had just secured. Draco was moving to the exact opposite side of the room so that Harry could not see both of them without moving his head slightly_. They've planned this already. They're trying to divide my attention. _Briefly, he wondered if Snape had given permission for Draco to use the same kind of hexes that he had been using against Harry when they dueled. When the first spark flew from Draco's wand, he knew that he had.

With his wand in his right hand, Harry sent a counter-hex back at Draco, and with a wave of his left he erected a shield against anything Snape might be about to send. Draco began a rapid-fire salvo of stinging hexes that caught Harry's attention. The moment he turned his head to counter them, Snape began to send a volley of his own. Harry almost lost focus with the intensity of their onslaught. Then he felt the sting in his shoulder from a shot that got through his defense against Snape. Feeling a trickle of blood, he knew it had been stronger than a stinging hex. What was Snape doing? He had not been so harsh in his hexes when it had been just Harry and himself.

In his mind, he heard Snape, _'The Dark Lord and his minions will be hurling much worse. Surely you can come up with a better defense.'_

Harry felt a surge of anger at Snape. The least he could have done was warn Harry that this first encounter with the two of them would be more serious than their other drills.

Snape seemed to hear these thoughts. _'Do you have the illusion that the Dark Lord will give you any sort of warning? Something like, "Here we come Potter, are you ready? Do you need a few moments to prepare?"'_

Harry's anger at Snape's baiting rose another few notches. He had moved away from the wall a few yards and felt flash of pain in his side as Draco got him.

The anger seemed to take on a life of its own and Harry could feel the heat of it beginning to move from deep inside him to his hands, to his fingers. A glance at Draco and then at Snape told him that they were enjoying this; too much for his taste. That made him even more angry at them both. Before he could think of the proper wording of a good counter offensive against the two of them, there was a sort of glowing bubble that suddenly began to grow around him as a shield.

Draco called out, 'You can't keep up a shield forever, Potter. And you can't make offensive moves through one. You've got to put it down to fight properly."

Harry snarled through gritted teeth. "You'd like that, wouldn't you, Malfoy? You'd like me to set aside my defenses so you can get at me? You think I can't shield and fight at the same time?"

Draco was grinning, thinking he was finally about to get a decent opening when Harry had got angry and distracted enough.

In the next instant, there was a huge sound like thunder in the room that seemed to shake even the stone floor they stood on. Harry's face was livid. He stood with both arms outstretched, one toward each of the other two. They were both on the ground, wands nowhere to be seen. In the split second that the magic flew out of him, Harry felt the deadly intensity of it and fought to pull it back into himself.

Breathing heavily, Harry fell to his knees, a weakness like he had never felt making him unable to stand.

Snape was on his own feet a few seconds later and was hurrying towards Draco. The blond was slowly sitting up, shaking his head to get rid of his confusion. Snape ascertained that he was alright before making his way towards Harry.

Harry leaned down and rested his head against the floor, the cold stone feeling good against his forehead. He felt Snape's hand on his shoulder, gripping it hard.

"What _was_ that, Potter?"

Not _Harry_, but _Potter_; not a sound of praise, just a harsh question. Harry rolled his head to the side to peer up at him. "I don't know …" He shuddered then, feeling his stomach rebelling against the magic he had let loose.

Snape's hand gripped harder and Harry found he didn't have the energy to resist as the man pulled him back up to a sitting position. Whatever had happened had made the man angry; that much Harry could tell.

From over his shoulder, he heard Draco yell, "Where the hell is my wand, Potter?"

Expecting the same question from Snape, Harry looked up at him. Black eyes peered intently into his own and a hand came up towards Harry's face. Harry flinched back, but was held in place by the hand that still held onto his shoulder.

"It's alright, Harry; I'm not going to hit you." Snape's hand found Harry's forehead, laying the flat of it under his fringe. "You're burning up. Did you feel ill before we started?"

Harry shook his head, swaying, dizzy with the effort. "No. I'm just … after that, I …"

He lurched forward into Snape, who caught him as he passed out. As the darkness began to shut everything else out, Harry heard Draco again.

"Where. Is. My. Wand?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Harry started hearing voices before he could open his eyes. It sounded like Draco was still moaning about his wand. Harry whispered, "… my pocket …"

He felt hands searching his robe and then Snape's voice. "Here they are. He must have summoned them as he stunned us."

Madame Pomfrey's voice sounded irate. "Well, if he stunned you, what in the world did you do to him? My assessment tells me he's suffered a massive shock to his system. The fever is from the magical force of the attack on him."

Draco responded heatedly, "He did it himself! He's the one who set off the shockwave. All of a sudden we were down and our wands were gone."

Harry tried to open his eyes but they were too heavy. Dumbledore's voice was concerned. "Was this the first time for him to practice against an opponent?"

Snape's voice was close to Harry and he felt a large hand on his forehead. "No. We have been sparring for a few weeks now. This was, however, the first time for him to be against two opponents."

"What else was different about this time?" Dumbledore asked.

There was silence for several moments before Snape answered. "We may have baited him more than we should have the first time. I wanted to see where his weaknesses and strengths against more than one enemy might lie."

Draco commented, "I'd say he was pretty pissed at us. Just before the shockwave, he looked ready to kill."

"The fact remains that the boy is dangerously depleted, whether by his own hand or another's," Madame Pomfrey huffed irritably. "The fever reducing potion seems to be helping. He needs a quiet rest, probably for a couple of days."

"He'll be even more pissed if he can't play against Slytherin on Saturday. Will he be okay by then?" Draco actually sounds worried, Harry thought.

Pomfrey answered, "I've finally learned never to make assumptions where Mr. Potter is concerned. He always manages to prove me wrong. I'll go out on a limb and say that with his usual determination, he'll most likely play, whether I like it or not."

Harry felt like the voices were fading a bit. They no longer sounded nearby, although he could still feel Snape's hand on his forehead. He tried to talk through the link.

'_Severus?'_

Snape answered out loud, "I'm here, Harry. You need to rest."

'_I'm sorry. I don't know what happened … I just felt so mad at you both for ganging up on me. I thought we would start out by talking about what we would do, and you started in with the attack right away.'_

'_You released an impressive amount of magic. We will discuss it later, but I believe that the reason it went awry is because you lacked specific focus.'_

'_No … I was focused on you alright. But it felt wrong to use the anger, it felt like it would be deadly and I tried to pull it back in …'_

"Drink this." Snape's hand moved to support his head by holding him under the back of his neck. Harry drank what he recognized as a sleeping potion.

'_I want my room …'_

'_Not this time. I'll be here, though. Sleep now.'_

'_I'm not a kid and I'm not going to miss Quidditch …'_ Harry heard the whine in his own voice, even as he fought to remain in control of his consciousness.

Snape's soothing hand on his head and his mind voice were the last that Harry remembered. _'Of course you are not … sleep, Harry.'_ He didn't sound angry at Harry anymore.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_**A/N:** A short chapter, I know, but the break here was necessary. Rest assured that there is a chapter later on that's much longer than my usual!_

_Where are your Quidditch scenes?? I am to that point and you'll suffer through my bumbling attempt at it if no help is forthcoming…still not sure whether Harry is playing…lots going on with him after this episode…_

_Thanks for all the great reviews! If you are a writer, then you know how much they mean. If you are a reader only, please know that it means so much to hear from you; what you think about where the story is going, your insights into what you see…**Thank You!** _

_**Thank you brilliant beta, logicalquirk!**_


	17. Chapter 17

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

**Chapter 17**

Harry tolerated the enforced rest the next day, even though he hated being in the hospital wing more than he ever had in the past. He hated being in the white-sheeted bed. He hated not knowing when someone would walk through the door. He missed to the solitude and security of his room. When he first woke up, he searched for the Invisibility Cloak. Seeing it was not there, he figured it was still in the room where he had dueled with Snape and Draco.

Pomfrey brought him a breakfast tray after insisting on several potions to pep him up, build him up, and cause him to relax enough to rest more willingly.

Harry called to Snape afterwards. '_You said you'd be here.'_

'_I was there all night. I do have classes this morning, you realize.'_

'_Yeah, I know. I didn't get to see you, though.'_

Snape was silent for a few moments. '_Did you have a reason you needed to see me?'_

'_Um … no. I just wanted to make sure we were okay.'_

'_Why would we not be?'_

'_I could feel that you were angry after what happened yesterday. I guess I need to fix it or something.' _

'_I was angry that I had not realized that you had so much power at your disposal. I was angry that I had put Draco in the way of it. I was not angry with you.'_

'_It sounded like you were.'_

'_I was not. We will work out a way for you to learn focus for the energy. You cannot pull it back into yourself like you did yesterday, at least not until we learn exactly what we are dealing with.'_

'_How long do I have to stay here?'_

'_As long as Madame Pomfrey says. You are to follow her directions.'_

'_Yes, sir,'_ Harry huffed in exasperation.

'_I have a free period after the first class. I will come up then.'_

'_Can you bring my History essay? Hermione and Ron would turn it in for me. Oh, and bring the Invisibility Cloak I left in that room, too.'_

'_Only if you promise me you won't leave the infirmary under it.'_

Now Harry was silent. Snape continued, _'I believe it will remain in my care for the time being, then. I'll see you later this morning.'_

Harry sighed heavily, resigning himself to a boring morning. Madame Pomfrey relieved some of it by insisting that he take another potion to force him into a relaxed state. He dozed then, barely aware of when Snape walked into the room. Only when he felt the large hand on his head, feeling for fever, did he stir.

He brought his own hand up and caught Snape's. Opening his eyes, he stared up at him. "I just remembered … your wand is probably in my robe pocket; Draco's too."

"Yes, you told us yesterday when Draco kept whining about his being gone." He sat down on the edge of the bed, allowing Harry to thread their fingers together.

Harry was looking at him intently, searching for any sign of anger in the man's face. "You really aren't mad at me?"

"No. I miscalculated your abilities. Obviously, we will have to take a different approach."

"Yeah. That was pretty scary."

"Both Draco and I thought that you had obliterated our wands. I did not hear you use a summons or an expelliarmus."

"I did in my mind. I was so mad at the two of you. You were hitting me with hexes that actually hurt and I was angry at what you were saying."

"I admit that making you angry was the goal; a rather short-sighted one in retrospect. I wanted you to be able to see past us as allies and pretend we were enemies for the sparring."

"If you had told me the plan, I would have been prepared."

"At the time, the idea was to cause you to think and react, not based on a plan, but on instinct."

"Well, my instinct was to hurt you back. I could feel the heat inside as I was getting mad. I wanted to disarm you and hex you back and shield, all at the same time, especially after Draco said I couldn't do it. About the time the magic started coming out at you, I realized how hot it was and I was afraid it might hurt you more than I had wanted. I pulled it back in."

"That is likely what caused you to deplete yourself. You still stunned us, but the force of your efforts backlashed on yourself. The heat you felt caused your fever."

"I heard thunder, I think. Was that just in my head?"

"No. We heard it, and felt it, as well. The floor shook with it. That's what alerted Professor Dumbledore that something had happened. He arrived here at the same time I carried you through the floo."

Harry sighed deeply yet again. "How am I ever going to learn how to control it?"

"You will. It could be that you will need to be older, and have control of other issues before you can control this."

Harry looked up at Snape in distress. "But what happens if I get mad at somebody again? What if it just gets out? What if I _do_ obliterate a wand next time, or a person?"

Snape pulled him up to lean against his chest. He put a hand on the back of Harry's head and rubbed his neck with the other. "It is a balance that needs to be found. Merlin saw it: that you would need to learn both light and dark magic. My duty will be to see that you learn it, but aren't drawn more towards the dark. Your worry about the consequences of your actions shows that you are Light, just as he said."

Harry relaxed against him, relishing the warmth of the hug, feeling safe. His eyes closed with the massaging of his neck muscles and along with the relaxing potion he had been given earlier, he drifted back to sleep. Snape laid him back and tugged the blanket up to cover his shoulders. After sweeping a hand across his head again, he left to return to his classroom.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

When Harry awoke again, Ron and Hermione were sitting in chairs beside the bed. Harry saw that Ron was looking angry and he started to ask what was up. Before the words got out of his mouth, he turned his head and saw Draco sitting on the other side of the bed. He was glaring back at Ron.

Hermione saw that Harry was awake and she jumped up. "Harry! How are you? What happened, anyway?"

"Hey, 'Mione. I'm fine."

"See? He's fine. You can go now, Malfoy." Ron said darkly.

Harry looked from Ron to Draco. Draco stood up and looked at Harry, his expression veiled. Harry asked quietly, "You're alright, then?"

Draco shrugged. "Just a headache afterwards. You?"

"A bit more than a headache. Some fever, exhaustion, the usual."

Draco smirked at him and then glanced at Ron. "I'll leave, then. Your … friends seem to think I was here for unsavory reasons."

"You can't change everyone all at once. I know a lot about that. People will believe what they want to believe until it's impossible to keep believing it."

Draco nodded. "I'll come back later if you're still here."

"Okay. By the way, sorry about your wand."

"I got it back. That's what counts."

Draco sauntered out, leaving Ron and Hermione open-mouthed. Ron sputtered and then exploded, "What the hell was _that_, harry? You acted like you're … _friends_ with Malfoy or something."

"We are, I guess. It's hard to explain."

"Well give it a try, why don't you. I really need to hear what's got into you that you'd allow that to happen. The Slytherins have been right bastards to both you and Hermione. He's one of them, in case you forgot." Ron's face was red with anger and they could see that his fists were clenched at his sides.

Hermione put a hand on his arm. "Give Harry a chance, Ron. I'm sure he'll tell us what's going on, what's happened."

Harry rolled his eyes at both of them. "Have you noticed that Draco hasn't taken part in all the Slytherin nastiness? He might be one, but he's not with them."

Ron smacked a fist into the palm of the other hand. "Slytherins don't change overnight, Harry. He shouldn't be coming around and sneaking in here when you're down."

Hermione broke in, "Harry, maybe you should explain what it was the two of you were talking about. What was that about his wand? Was he there when you were hurt? Did he do it?"

Harry pushed himself up in the bed. "We were dueling –"

"I knew it! He hexed you didn't he?! I'll get that git –"

"Ron, will you just listen?" Harry implored.

Ron stopped at the sound of Harry's distress. Finally realizing that he was upsetting his friend, he tried to relax back into his chair.

Harry looked at both of them. "We were dueling; Draco and Severus against me –" Ron looked livid again but he kept quiet at Harry's intent gaze. Harry continued, "We were dueling for me to practice my defense. Only it got a little out of hand and I had more defense abilities than we thought. I lost control of it and it got me when I tried to keep from hurting them."

The two friends stared at Harry silently. Hermione asked quietly, "But why Draco? Why didn't you ask us to help?"

"I did suggest the two of you. Severus thought it might not be as effective to duel people I thought of first as friends."

For the first time, Ron gave a look of satisfaction. "So you needed an enemy to fight against."

"Draco's not my enemy. But he does duel well and he knows a lot more hexes and curses than the usual student." Harry could feel the flush of fever creeping back into his cheeks. A sheen of sweat broke out on his upper lip.

"That's because he's a junior _Death_ _Eater_!" Ron switched back to reddened anger, coming out of the chair to pace furiously.

Harry put his head into his hands tiredly. "He's not, Ron. He's not his father."

Hermione and Ron both shook their heads. Hermione whispered, "What has Professor Snape done to you? He has you convinced that Malfoy is an ally? He has the two of you dueling until you get seriously hurt?"

"Hermione, you have to remember how my magic has been changing. I'm sure Ron told you what he's seen me do." At her nod, Harry went on. "I've been practicing on my own while I've been gone. But it's time for me to face real opponents. This was the first time for me to face more than one. Severus has been dueling me for weeks. I haven't been hurt until now. And it was my own fault."

"Are you trying to tell us you hexed yourself? Give us a break, Harry." Ron was standing at the bedside now, leaning over Harry. "What really happened? Sounds like Snape is trying to run you into the ground again, this time with curses, hexes and jinxes."

"It sounds to me as if Harry's friends are not giving him the support he needs."

They all jumped upon hearing Snape's cold voice from the doorway. Harry looked up at him. Hermione jumped up from her chair. Ron had clenched his fists again, looking like he might take Snape on if necessary.

Hermione sputtered, "S-sorry sir. I know you've really been trying to help Harry. It's just upsetting to see him hurt so soon after coming back to classes."

Snape swept the rest of the way into the room and came to stand on the other side of the bed. He reached out his hand and put his palm against Harry's head. Harry knew that he was feverish, so he wasn't surprised at the frown that grew on Snape's face. The teacher sat down behind Harry and placed hands on his neck and shoulders, gently beginning to massage the tension away. Harry closed his eyes and sighed in relief.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other. They could see that Harry had been tense and they had done nothing to ease it. Snape had come in and immediately set to work helping him.

Hermione sat on the bed and took Harry's hand. "I'm sorry. We weren't really listening to you, were we?"

Harry opened his eyes and stared at her. "You seemed more interested in finding a way to blame Severus and Draco. I tried to explain what happened."

Ron sat back down in his chair. "We just don't understand."

"I don't think I can explain it any better." In his mind he asked Snape, _'Could you tell them what happened? They don't get it.'_

Snape continued massage the tense shoulders in front of him, feeling the fever begin to go down as he relaxed. "His fever is a sign of his exhaustion and magical depletion. It does him no good at all if you insist on coming here only to upset him." He glared at the two Gryffindors until they had the grace to look away.

Snape went on, "Harry has great potential for defense. When I planned the duel, I had not realized that his defense would also be offensive; that he could do both at the same time. He did not realize this either. When he became angry, his magic had to find a target. He immediately tried to avoid injuring us, and in attempting to pull the attack back into himself, his magic hurt him, much worse than he allowed us to suffer."

Ron looked fidgety for a few minutes and Hermione finally stepped forward and kissed Harry on the cheek. "I'm so sorry we upset you. We just love you so much, Harry. Sometimes that love gets in the way of our better judgement."

Snape muttered under his breath, "Well said, Miss Granger."

Hermione blushed, knowing it wasn't really a compliment that Snape acknowledged their lack of judgement.

Ron was still red in the face. "I've been as bad as I imagined Professor Snape has been. My only excuse is that I never know whether you're getting along or not. I don't know whether to support you in liking him or being mad at him because it changes every day. You're my best mate, Harry. I'll try harder not to be a jerk."

"Thanks, guys." Harry looked over his shoulder at Snape. "Did you give my essay to Hermione, so she could turn it in?"

Snape reached into his pocket and withdrew a roll of parchment. "I looked over it today. You are beginning to have a better understanding of the importance of history."

Ron gave a groan at that and earned another glare from all three of them. Snape held out the roll to Hermione who took it and put it down into her book bag. "I'll turn it in tomorrow. Ron and I should probably go now."

"Another extraordinarily astute comment," Snape said dryly.

Hermione and Ron quickly gathered up their things and with a last good-night to Harry, they left the infirmary.

Once they were out the door, Harry let himself slump forward onto the bed, holding his head. Snape strode to Madame Pomfrey's office, and the mediwitch came out to check Harry over.

"You cannot allow yourself to get so agitated, Mr. Potter. Your fever is back. I'll get the necessary potions ready." She hurried off and Snape sat back down behind Harry again. Pulling him up, he gently settled him to lean back against his chest. Long fingers set to work massaging Harry's temples. He stopped only long enough for Pomfrey to have Harry drink a fever-reducing potion, followed by more potion to induce relaxation and sleep.

Snape's voice was quiet in Harry's ear. "Your Gryffindor friends are certainly persistent in their belief that all Slytherins are evil."

"Yeah, well up until this year, there hasn't been any reason to think otherwise."

"Hm … Yes, I can see that. You are able to see past the name now, I trust."

"At least for you, I can … and maybe Draco …" His voice was drifting as the potions worked. "I'm still scared about this power … I could feel the fever coming back while I talked to Ron and Hermione. Is it going to stay like this?"

"Likely; you are still exhausted. I suspect that you will be yourself after another night of rest. We will find a way for you to rid yourself of the heat of anger. We will find a safe target."

Harry had closed his eyes. Now he shifted so that he could lay a cheek against Snape's chest. "I feel safe here, right now …" He slept.

In the doorway, Draco stood watching. Snape beckoned him closer with an incline of his head. Draco took the chair vacated by Hermione.

"Some friends he has. Kicking up such as fuss to cause him to relapse."

"They were not doing it maliciously. They are concerned about him."

"Now you scare _me_; defending Gryffindors."

"Not defending; thinking in reasonable terms. They are a strength he has need of, regardless of the ineptitude they displayed here. I have no illusions that he must choose one house over the other where we are concerned; nor should you. I believe he has assured you of his support for the decision you must make?"

Draco nodded, resting his chin in his hand. Snape had stopped his massage of Harry's temples after he had fallen asleep. With as much care as he could, he moved the boy off of his chest and onto the bed. Standing, he arranged the blanket over him. A check of his forehead told him the fever had gone down further.

Snape took his cane up from where he had laid it and leaned on it. The day had been another long one, and his back practically screamed at him to sit back down. He knew that if Pomfrey saw him he would be occupying a bed here on this night. "Let's go back to the dungeons and see how your housemates are fairing. After our meeting last night, they have been looking mutinous."

Draco confirmed this. "They're calling you a blood traitor. The ones who have Death Eater parents are talking about the owls they've got. Their parents are asking how the Potions Master is, if you've been in class."

They began the walk to the dungeons. "What are they answering?"

"Without knowing what happened to you, all they can say is that you're now back to teaching. They all talk about your new scar, your streak of white hair, and your use of a cane. That's all they know." Draco looked up at Snape. "That's all I know. You haven't told me what happened."

"Nor will I, so do not ask."

"Does Harry know?"

Snape glanced down at the blond, hearing the tones of jealousy in his voice. "Harry does not know it all."

"You two have some sort of connection. It looks like you don't even have to speak aloud to understand what the other is thinking."

Snape was reluctant to confirm this much information, so he merely grunted in reply as they walked.

Draco sighed. "Potter wouldn't tell me either. I suppose I can't blame you, since I haven't exactly assured you that I'm siding with the Light."

The walk was silent for another descent of a set of stairs. Then Snape asked, "Have you made a decision?"

"No. Every time I think I have, I rethink it and find a reason to doubt it."

Snape laid a hand on his shoulder. "You have excellent instinct. Try not to second-guess yourself in this."

"I know. I should follow my heart." Draco gave him a crooked smile.

Snape raised a mocking eyebrow. "Slytherins have a heart?"

Draco gave him a playful elbow in the ribs at that. The two continued the slow trek to the dungeons in silence.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_**A/N**: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! They feed the muse, and also my fragile ego!_

_I suppose I will have to develop a thicker skin if I truly want to ever make it as a real writer in the future. Along with the good reviews, the blasts are bound to happen! (see the last few new reviews for The First Prophecy for why I was lamenting my abilities to write for a few days!)_

_But now, I' m back, after all, this is fan fiction; a hobby; which means it's supposed to be fun for me; and I'm not being paid for it; and if someone thinks it's drivel they can move on to another of the hundreds of available stories! Whew! Had to get that off my chest!_

_That reminds me…time to say again that I do not own any of this amazing world…JKRowling does…I'm just dabbling in the paint that colors her world of Harry Potter!_

_Thank you **logicalquirk** for your ever patient beta reading!_


	18. Chapter 18

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

**Chapter 18:**

Madame Pomfrey released Harry to return to class the next morning, with the stipulation that he come to the hospital wing for lunch. With the added break of a free period afterwards, she was determined that he would rest and she planned to oversee it.

She had pursed her lips tightly when Harry came in, but refused to lie down and rest. He argued that he was there as told, and that was enough.

Now Harry sat on the bed, parchment spread out over the bed and his Transfiguration book open beside him. Snape strode in, leaning on the cane but still managing to look menacing. He narrowed his eyes at Harry.

"I believe the purpose of you being here at this time was to rest."

"You know, I can only take so much coddling. Now that I'm feeling better I have stuff I need to do."

"At the moment, you need to obey Madame Pomfrey and try to keep from ending up here overnight again."

"I'll just finish this up first." He bent back over the work.

In the next instant, his quill was plucked from his hand and the book and parchment vanished from sight. "Hey, give it back!"

"If you do not lie down this instant, I will give you a sleeping potion myself."

Harry rolled his eyes at the man as he towered over the bed with arms crossed. "Okay, okay; but no fair getting on my case if I get behind in Transfiguration."

"I happen to know that you are quite far ahead of your classmates. I believe you can spare the time to rest." When Harry remained sitting up, he roared, "NOW!"

Harry scrambled under the blanket. "Geez, that makes it easy to relax," he said sarcastically.

He closed his eyes, thinking that he would never get relaxed enough in the little time he had to be here. Then he felt Snape's hand on his forehead, and heard a softly whispered incantation. Harry slept.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Madame Pomfrey woke him up when it was time for him to head to his first afternoon test. Harry grumbled about the unfairness of being spelled to sleep when he hadn't expected it. She replied that it wouldn't have been necessary if Harry had but obeyed her in the first place.

Harry wouldn't admit that the nap had helped, but by the time it he headed to the Great Hall for dinner with Ron and Hermione, he knew that he would have had a hard time making it if he hadn't had the mid-day break.

He sat quietly, picking at his food while the conversations circled around him.

'_You are still brooding about taking a nap?'_

Harry looked up at the head table, knowing Snape was staring. _'I just don't appreciate being spelled to sleep like I'm a baby or something.'_

'_Perhaps next time you will do as told to avoid it.'_

Harry rolled his eyes. Snape voiced his concern: _'You still appear tired. Don't you have Quidditch practice in a while?'_

Harry groaned at having forgotten. _'Yeah. The pitch has been reserved for an extra long session tonight, since I missed yesterday.'_

'_Perhaps you should miss this one as well.'_

Harry glared up at him. _'You'd like that. You just want your house to have an edge.'_

'_No, I merely want to keep you from overdoing it so soon.'_

Harry remained silent. The Gryffindor team was finishing their dinner; Katie calling them to hurry up and meet at the team changing rooms.

Harry stood up. Ron was at his side. "I'll go get your broom. Go ahead to the pitch."

"Thanks, Ron."

Hermione walked alongside Harry. "Are you sure you're up for this? I mean, I know Katie will understand if you tell her you need to save your energy for the game itself."

"I don't need two mother hens, Hermione. I'm fine."

She turned off as they reached the pitch, heading for the stands as Harry went to change. When Ron caught up with her, he saw that she had her wand in her lap, gripped in a tight fist. He searched her eyes and then pulled her into a quick hug. "I'll have my wand close at hand, too." He joined the team as they moved out onto the field.

The Gryffindor team performed their drills and practiced their moves until they were flawlessly executed. Harry flew well, circling the pitch and catching the practice snitch several times.

Ron flew over and landed in the stands beside Hermione. Both of them were breathing a sigh of relief that the practice was over when a group of Slytherins suddenly approached, looking more like a lynch mob from an old western than anything else. Hermione felt her anxiety gear up. Beside her, Ron had drawn himself up tall and stiff.

Blaise and Pansy were at the front. They didn't say anything to Ron and Hermione, but seemed to be waiting. When the Gryffindor team came out of the changing rooms, they halted abruptly. Katie and the rest moved to stand in front of Harry, knowing he was the target. Ron and Hermione moved to stand behind Harry.

"So, you need a protection squad, do you Potter?" Blaise taunted. "Too scared to face a bunch of lowly Slytherins? Surely the Boy Who Lived has more courage than that?"

Pansy jeered, "You probably think you have our head of house all wrapped up, don't you? Think again. The Board of Governors is meeting as we speak. Snape will be backing us or he'll be out."

Hermione and Ron felt a hot breeze flow through the group that had nothing at all to do with the crisp autumn evening. They looked at each other and then at Harry in front of them. Hermione moved up to stand beside him, placing a hand on his arm. He looked at her, seeming to become aware that it was not just himself who stood before the Slytherins, but a whole group of Gryffindor housemates. The air grew cooler, but Harry began to tremble.

The two groups stood glaring at each other, neither giving so much as an inch of ground. Hermione could feel Harry's arm under her hand shaking even more, the longer they stood there.

All at once, Professors McGonagall and Snape were walking up beside their respective houses. McGonagall spoke firmly, "Gryffindors, back to the tower at once."

Without a word, the Gryffindors turned away from the Slytherins. They kept their ranks closed around Harry as they moved back towards the castle. Hermione and Ron were on either side of Harry. She was holding his arm, and as soon as they were out of earshot she hissed at Ron, "Help me! Grab his other arm."

Ron took Harry's arm, upset to find that Hermione had been supporting almost his whole weight. When he was certain the Slytherins couldn't see them any longer, he drew Harry's arm over his shoulder and took the weight all on himself. The entire team made their way to the hospital wing, where Ron put Harry back on the bed he had left only that morning.

Madame Pomfrey hurried out of her office and her face was grim when she saw that her patient was Harry. "Everyone out! Go to your house."

The team left reluctantly, but Hermione and Ron sat down right beside Harry. Pomfrey clicked her tongue as she shook her head. She knew they would not leave until someone with more 'influence' arrived. She scanned Harry with her wand and hurried away to prepare the necessary potions.

McGonagall came into the room, followed by Professor Dumbledore. McGonagall peered sharply at the two beside Harry. "Explain, if you will."

"Everything was fine until the Slytherins showed up," Ron said quickly. They went on about Harry needing a protection squad and something about the Board of Governors making Professor Snape back his own house."

"Harry was … well he seemed to be trying not to get angry." Hermione was looking at Harry's form huddled under a blanket, teeth chattering as he shook. "There was something hot, like a breeze, that was all around us for a moment, then it was gone."

Madame Pomfrey hurried back in, setting vials down on the bedside table.

The floo gave a belch of flame as Snape stepped into the room. He had eyes only for the boy on the bed. He tossed the cane aside when he sat down beside Harry. Wrapping the blankets around his shivering body, Snape pulled him up to sit against his chest. Madame Pomfrey began to tip the vials into the mouth that Snape held accessible.

They could all hear him muttering about 'idiotic, foolish Gryffindors' amongst the incantations he murmured along with Pomfrey.

When they were finished, Pomfrey stepped back. Snape kept holding Harry as he looked up at Dumbledore and McGonagall. "He cannot keep going like this. The power is too great for him to control and the efforts he makes is what is causing this state."

"I agree, Severus." Dumbledore's eyes did not have their customary twinkle at the moment. "He needs to be isolated."

Ron and Hermione immediately protested, "He's just now back!" "You can't keep him off by himself!"

Professor Dumbledore held up a hand to stop them. "Harry is in a strange predicament. He has untold power at his disposal. It appears to be getting stronger. Because he also has a strong desire to avoid hurting anyone, he is not able to allow himself to expend the magic outward. Pulling it back into himself is breaking him down."

Snape continued the explanation, "I have been researching and I believe that if he can learn to narrow the focus of his anger, he will be able to let it go. He needs to find a safe way to release it. Until then, he is a danger to those around him and especially to himself."

"But surely you don't think he would hurt us, do you?"

"Miss Granger, you said yourself that you felt heat when Harry was confronted by the Slytherins." Dumbledore's look invited her to think about the situation rationally.

"Yes, but Harry wouldn't hurt us …"

Snape felt no need to let her reason it out herself. "He would not hurt you on purpose. But the fact that you felt the heat when he was angry with my house shows that he would have hurt everyone in the vicinity if he had let loose. He does not yet have the ability to focus only on the enemy. His reluctance to hurt anyone is a liability. He forces the magic back into himself, where it is weakening him. Until he can focus, or until he gains better control of his emotions, he cannot be allowed to be around others."

"He was just getting back … he has a game in two days. Are you going to let him play?" Ron was looking at Harry worriedly.

"I have no idea how long he will need to learn focus, recover from this incident, and be prepared for a game he has not played since last year." Snape's scowl at them was dark.

Harry began to murmur and toss. Snape laid him back down, adjusting the blanket. He studiously kept his expression blank, but he knew his actions were being observed by them all. Seeing him caring for Harry was still a difficult thing. If he thought about it beyond it being a role he had to play to fulfill a prophecy, he still had trouble with it himself. He could admit that he had learned to care deeply for the boy, that he had eased into thinking of him as he would a son. He could admit that he had learned to let go of the fact that Harry was the son of his hated schoolmate, James Potter. He could admit that he had been wrong to ascribe the sins of the father to the son.

All these things ran through his mind as he laid a hand on the messy black hair, smoothing it, or trying to.

Hermione broke the silence. "Will you let us see him? Can we at least keep him company?"

Snape regarded her, many abrupt responses coming to mind, and then the remembrance that these were Harry's best friends. "Let's wait and see what happens. I would not have you misled, if it turns out that you cannot."

"For now, he needs total peace and quiet. I won't be so willing to let him out of my sight this time." Madame Pomfrey stood as tall as she could, chin raised and determined.

Professor McGonagall laid a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "It's late. You should get back to the tower and to bed. I'm sure your housemates are waiting to hear from you that Mr. Potter is alright."

Ron turned to Snape at the reminder. "Sir, what about the Slytherins? They were really handing out the insults, about you and Harry."

"I will take care of my house, Mr. Weasley. It is not your concern."

Ron looked as if he would like to argue that, but then after glancing down at Harry he finally nodded his head.

Snape gave a sigh and said quietly to the two friends, "As much as it pains me, I do have to say that he depends on the two of you for a great deal. However, he probably feels like he should be able to handle all his problems on his own. He does not know what he truly needs from you."

They looked at him expectantly. Snape went on, "He needs you to have his back, to accept the way he feels about the two of us, how he feels about Draco. He needs you to trust his instincts. They are quite accurate, you realize." His eyes glittered a bit. "He can be overly impulsive, but that's probably the fool-hardy Gryffindor at work."

McGonagall huffed in annoyance, earning a smirk from Snape. "I would ask you to keep supporting him. I would also ask that the next time you feel that heat coming from him, you hit the ground and get out of his way. He needs to have his way clear, to be unencumbered by the worry of hurting his friends."

There was a surprised noise from Hermione and McGonagall. Ron was looking satisfied. Hermione asked, "Are you saying that you'll be okay with him throwing whatever kind of magical attack at anyone else?"

"No. But what he has is not fully under his control. He does not need the guilt of your injury on his conscience. Just be watchful when he is back with you again, perhaps try and help steer him away from volatile situations?"

Hermione and Ron both nodded. With a last look at their sleeping friend, they left to return to Gryffindor.

Snape looked at the other three adults in the room. "When he is stable enough, I'll take him back to his room. I still have his Invisibility Cloak in my possession, so he won't be able to sneak out."

Pomfrey waved her wand over Harry. "His fever is still higher than I like."

Dumbledore and McGonagall looked at each other and then at Snape. Snape narrowed his eyes at the look that had passed between them. "What are you hiding?"

Dumbledore paced at the end of the bed. "Just before I came here to check on Harry, an owl arrived, bearing a message from the Board of Governors. It seems that there have been complaints about how the Slytherin Head of House has been behaving with his students, and about the Potions Master missing a number of classes recently."

Snape's face grew thunderous. "Malfoy."

Dumbledore nodded. "It would appear so. The Board informed me that there will be an on-site investigation and evaluation of the complaints. We are to expect them in the morning."

Snape stood up. After a few steps, he grabbed the cane to lean on as he joined the pacing. "Malfoy knows exactly why I have missed classes. He is instigating the complaints in an effort to further his own agenda. The children of known Death Eaters in my house have been extremely difficult. Their parents are obviously feeding them information and encouraging their antagonism."

McGonagall looked worried. "Albus, what do you expect them to do with this investigation?"

"I believe that Lucius Malfoy will attempt to have Severus suspended." His face was grave. "However, that is apparently not all he is after."

Snape stopped his pacing and McGonagall clasped her hands together. Dumbledore continued, "The solicitor that aided us this past summer has alerted me that there have been inquiries into Harry's situation. The description of the man making the inquiry match Malfoy."

Snape stood tensely at hearing that. "Harry's guardianship is not a matter of public record. He should not be able to find out anything."

Dumbledore shook his head, "You know better than I how well-placed galleons make the gathering of information go smoothly. I suspect that Lucius has many avenues available to him when he wishes to know something."

Snape's jaw clenched. On the bed, Harry stirred restlessly. Snape felt the connection they shared and knew Harry was unconsciously being affected by his anger. He took a deep breath and sat back down beside the sleeping boy. Leaning close, he whispered the calming incantation he had used before. When Harry's wrinkled forehead smoothed out, Snape sat back.

McGonagall asked, "What was that you were saying? It seems to relax him."

Two spots of color appeared high on Snape's cheeks. Brushing Harry's hair back and laying a hand against the lightning bolt scar, he said softly, "It's one of the few good things I remember about my own childhood. My mother would use this special spell to help me sleep after my father …" He stopped, unwilling to tell his own story. "My mother taught it to me when I was young."

McGonagall nodded, understanding what was left unsaid. "I'll be needing to check on my house." Looking at Snape she said, "You know that I will do whatever I can to ensure that Lucius Malfoy is sent away empty-handed."

Snape nodded his appreciation, not trusting himself to speak in case his usual snarkiness surfaced.

McGonagall left and Dumbledore stepped closer to the bed. He looked at Madam Pomfrey and then at Snape. "Poppy, I know you don't want to release Harry too quickly, but I do believe it would be best if he were already in the rooms where he has been hiding by the time Malfoy arrives. Severus, do you think Harry would mind if she knows where it is, so she can check on him?"

Snape raised an eyebrow at the question. "Of course he will mind. But the need for him to be monitored outweighs his objections. I will take you there when I take Harry."

"He needs to be here for a few more hours. I'll gather a supply of potions he may need."

Snape gave a nod and stood. "I must return to Slytherin. They need to see that I am not backing down with this threat from Malfoy, or any of the other parents."

He and Dumbledore left the infirmary together.

On the bed, Harry began to dream.

_**A/N:**_

_I hereby extend an invitation to all readers to join the new yahoo group FirstProphecy! Faithful reader and advisor KimInSpirit has graciously suggested that a group would be fun for us all! She has the experience to run the group, for which I am very grateful. _

_Please join us for discussion, questions, etc., not only for my fics, but for Harry Potter in general, as well. Tea and refreshment await you!_

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_Kim and I look forward to seeing you there!_

_nnie_


	19. Chapter 19

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

**Chapter 19:**

White mist flowed around, and Harry knew it was a dream. Idly, he wondered where Snape was, if Merlin was coming to speak to them again …

"There you are, Potter."

Harry whirled at the voice. Stepping out of the whiteness was the aristocratic form of Lucius Malfoy. His steel grey eyes were hard, his smile like that of a predator who has cornered his prey.

Harry started to retort when his dream self stepped forward, reminding him that he was here as an observer, not as a participant. The dream Harry stopped in front of Malfoy. "You wanted to see me. You wanted to have me. Now you do. Just leave Snape out of this."

"So touching, your feelings for the man … tell me, has he told you of his favorite deeds? How he has begged the Dark Lord for the privilege of being at the front of our most deviant revels? Somehow, I can't imagine the Ministry will be willing for the Boy Who Lived to be under the guardianship of a Death Eater."

"He's not under your control, Malfoy. He never has been. There's nothing you can do to break the custody order."

"You think not? Hmm … the ministry frowns upon any adult taking advantage of a minor. Severus would be attracted by the size of the Potter vaults. It is under his control until you are of age, after all."

"Severus doesn't care about the money."

Malfoy's laughter rang out; with his head thrown back and a finger wiping an imaginary tear from an eye. "Oh, Potter … you really are naïve if you believe that. Severus is probably the greediest of any of the Dark Lord's followers."

Dream Harry swallowed hard, trying to keep the confusion and doubt out of his expression.

Malfoy gave him a mocking look of concern. "Oh don't worry; I'll not leave you to the mercy of his avarice. After all, family is worth more than anything else, don't you think? And you are in luck there, Mr. Potter. Your custody has been returned to your rightful family. In return, they will keep you safe, you and all that lovely Potter gold. Your uncle has graciously requested my help in navigating the ways of wizarding custodial duties as it pertains to a minor's assets. He is most pleased to be the beneficiary should anything … unfortunate … happen to you."

He stepped close to Harry, placing a hard hand on his shoulder, fingers digging into the soft area below the collar bone. "It will be a pleasure to see you meet your unfortunate end at the hands of an ordinary Muggle; a demented Muggle to be sure, but ordinary none the less. The Dark Lord will love the irony of it, his nemesis brought down without any magic at all."

Dream Harry's breathing had become rapid and gasping. He struggled against the painful hold of Malfoy's hand. He looked up as another voice came out of the mist.

"You've done it this time, Boy, and _this_ time, you will pay for all the bloody trouble you've caused." The smirking face of Vernon Dursley appeared beside Malfoy, His hand closing on Harry's other shoulder.

Both Harrys fought to breathe as the mist rose up to blot out everything else.

Harry felt like he was suffocating under a blanket of hot air. He sat bolt upright in the bed, gasping.

Madam Pomfrey was kneeling by the fireplace, yelling, but Harry couldn't make out what she was saying, or who she was yelling at.

The room swayed dangerously, even though he was sitting down. He had to get out of here before Malfoy came. Malfoy was bringing Uncle Vernon. Malfoy had got custody of Harry returned to Uncle Vernon. Uncle Vernon was going to kill him.

The heat was building; sweat began to run down Harry's face and he could feel it evaporating almost as fast. His vision was all shimmery, like looking out across the yard in the hottest part of the summer, a silvery mirage of water underlying it all.

Through the haze Harry looked for the source, the cause; he looked for Malfoy and Dursley.

A vague shadowy form appeared, towering over him. Harry flung out his hands, only to find them pinned to his sides from behind. He fought the hold, needing to strike out at the threat, to escape.

A voice then, was it in his ear, or was it in his head … _'Harry! I'm here. You're safe. There is no danger. Calm yourself now.'_

Harry recognized it as Snape. But how he was supposed to stop the wave of heat coming from down inside him, he didn't know. It was begging for release, needing an outlet before it consumed him.

'_How? I don't know how!'_

Harry felt Snape's hands, still holding tightly, but directing him now, aiming him towards the other side of the room. _'Imagine your fear is there on that bed … the cause of your anger, the reason you are burning … it's there. Just in that one area. Focus on that one area.'_

Harry heard the hypnotic, soothing tone as Snape held his hands out toward the bed across the room. A burst of searing energy flew through the air. The bed went up in a flash of flame that touched the ceiling. Thunder shook the walls.

Almost immediately the air cooled again, leaving Harry shivering violently in the sweat-soaked clothes. Snape turned him around and looked closely at his face before pulling him in and holding him in a tight embrace.

Teeth chattering too much to talk aloud, Harry spoke in the link. _'Malfoy is coming … he's getting my custody changed back to Uncle Vernon. He said you wanted the Potter gold in my vaults …'_

Snape's arms tightened. Malfoy _was_ coming; he would be there in just a few hours. Was it possible that Harry had seen all that Malfoy had devised?

'_This was all in your dream? Show me …'_ He drew back to stare into Harry's eyes, seeking the clarity of Harry's memory of the dream just past.

Harry let him into the thoughts, past caring that the man had done this before in a much more ruthless way. It was different, easier, when Harry just let it flow from his own mind to Snape's.

When Snape had seen it all, he pulled Harry back up against his chest, rubbing his back with one hand as the other held his head. He looked up at Dumbledore. He had been the shadow that had distracted Harry while Snape maneuvered around to secure his arms.

Madam Pomfrey stood to the side, a hand pressed against her mouth, eyes moving from Harry to the pile of ashes that had been a hospital bed moments ago.

Dumbledore snapped her out of her frozen state, "We're moving him now. Severus, I want only you and Poppy to know where he is. Ward the rooms well against anyone getting near or Harry getting out. For now, he must not be seen. Poppy, be sure that you take plenty of whatever potions he has been requiring. You must not be seen coming or going to him."

"Albus, he needs to be here to rest –"

"Poppy, you saw what just happened. If Lucius Malfoy gets any idea that Harry has this much power, he will make every effort to hasten his removal from Hogwarts and Severus. His rooms will have to do. Conjure whatever else is needed there."

Snape had wrapped the blanket around Harry, trying to stop the intense shivering that he was still experiencing. Pomfrey handed him a dreamless sleep potion and Snape held it to Harry's lips.

'_I don't want to sleep anymore … nightmares …'_

'_This is dreamless sleep. Take it so I can move you and get you settled in your rooms.'_

'_Why am I going there instead of staying here?'_

'_There's time enough to talk about that later. For now, you desperately need rest. Drink the potion.'_

Harry grimaced as the potion went down. As soon as he was asleep, Snape gathered him up. Pomfrey followed with a bag of potions and draughts that she had shrunk for transportation. She had added a special box of food that was self- replenishing, remembering how hungry Harry had been before.

They moved through the dark castle as Snape made his way back to the rooms that Harry had claimed.

Once in the room, Snape laid Harry on the settee. Madam Pomfrey made room on the small bookcase for the potions bottles and vials that she enlarged back to normal size.

Snape set to work setting wards around the room they were in and additional ones for the adjoining ones. Once finished, Snape went to the room where Harry had found all the stored furniture. He levitated out another small sofa, and after cleaning it, he moved it into Harry's room. Motioning Madam Pomfrey to it, he took a seat beside Harry.

Bending his head over him, he sensed that Harry was in a deep and dreamless sleep, as they had wanted. He looked at Pomfrey. "You are aware of the injuries inflicted on him by his uncle." It was a statement, knowing that the mediwitch had discovered all the scars from all the years Harry had been with the Dursleys. At her nod, Snape continued,

"Harry has foreseen that Lucius Malfoy is attempting to reverse my custody and return it to his family. His dream included both Malfoy and the uncle. That was why he was so terrified."

Pomfrey nodded in understanding. "So, even in his dreams, his power is manifesting. After seeing what he did to the bed, I understand why you want him away from others."

"I am hopeful that it will not be for long. He was able to narrow his focus of destruction, after all. If he can continue to do that, and begin to have control over his emotions, he will be able to rejoin his friends. However, the danger this morning is the visit by Malfoy and the Board of Governors." He stared at the older woman. "I would like for you to remain here with him. I have the wards set so that he cannot leave, but I don't want him to feel like a prisoner. I will have to be available for the investigation. No doubt Harry will become agitated if he feels any of what is happening between Malfoy and myself. I will try to keep it occluded, but if he senses that I am hiding it from him, he may be even more upset."

"Of course I'll be here for him. He needs medical monitoring anyway. I'm sure that the Headmaster will get a mediwitch from St. Mungo's if an emergency arises."

Snape started to leave and then turned back. "There are many old books of spells in the other room. I believe they belonged to The Grey Lady. If you find yourself with time to fill …"

Pomfrey gave the man a small smile. "You have changed so much, Severus. I never would have imagined you being Harry's guardian and friend. Now you even seem concerned for my comfort at being here with him. Thank you."

Snape scowled at the unexpected praise. With a sharp nod, he swept away.

When Harry woke up, he found himself on the settee in his room. Looking around, he saw Madam Pomfrey dozing in the corner of another sofa. She was snoring softly, a light blanket around her shoulders.

Harry looked at the window and saw that it was early morning, judging by the amount of light coming through the stained glass. He threw off the blanket that had been covering him and slowly stood up. After only a moment, the dizziness passed and he was sure of his footing.

Pomfrey woke up and jumped to her feet at seeing him awake. "You really ought to stay in bed, Mr. Potter."

"I've been in bed for so long I'm sick of it. I need to stretch." He headed for the door and Pomfrey stepped in front of him.

"This room and a couple on either side are all you can get to. Everything else is warded."

"Warded against people coming in, you mean? I can go wherever I want." He moved to go by her and she put a gentle hand on his arm.

"No. You can't leave. Severus warded them to keep you from leaving without his express permission. Only he can undo them."

Harry glared for a moment and then opened the link. _'Snape! Why the hell did you lock me in here?'_

The response was immediate. _'Harry, you must get yourself under control.'_

'_I was just fine until I found out you warded the rooms to keep me in here. What's going on? Is Malfoy here? I want to see him. I owe him for killing Martin Granger.'_

'_You will stay where you are. Malfoy will be here any moment and I cannot be distracted by you while I am dealing with him. I am asking you to respect my wishes in this.'_

Harry stood there for a minute, flexing his fists. Narrowing his eyes, he said, '_I can get past Dumbledore's gargoyle. I bet I can get out of here.'_

'_You will stay there.' _Harry heard the unmistakable snarl in the mind voice. _'You will not attempt to leave those rooms. You will rest as ordered, unless you are doing homework. Is that understood?'_

Harry wanted to refuse to answer; to just walk out of these rooms, track down Malfoy, and kill him before any of the dream had a chance to come true.

As soon as those thoughts formed in his mind, Harry felt a sort of queasiness in the pit of his stomach. He shouldn't want to hurt anyone, even that evil git Malfoy. His shoulders slumped and he turned to sit back down on the settee.

Snape's voice came quietly, knowing the turmoil Harry was feeling, _'Harry, it's for your protection that I want you there. As long as you are not available to him, Malfoy cannot touch you. Let Dumbledore and I handle these issues of custody. I give you my word that I will not allow anyone to place you back with that travesty of a family.'_

Harry hugged himself as a shiver ran through him, thinking of Vernon Dursley. He whispered, the sound of defeat already in his voice. _'I want to stay with you.'_

'_I'll see to it.'_

Harry laid back down, pulling the blanket around himself again. On the bedside table sat Prongs. Harry stared at the deer for a long moment before snatching it up and pulling it under the covers, hiding it from Madam Pomfrey's sharp eyes. The calming charm imbedded in the toy gave Harry a sense of peace.

He couldn't stop thinking about what might happen on this day so he simply lay on the settee, holding Prongs under the blanket, letting his eyes travel the lines of the labyrinth tapestry in a half-hearted attempt at relaxation. He did not truly want to block out what was happening; he wanted to keep the link open, to know what Snape was feeling, to have a clue as to what was going on.

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The Headmaster of Hogwarts sat calmly at the head table in the Great Hall, flanked by his staff. McGonagall sat on his right, Snape on his left. They watched over the noisy room as students ate their breakfast in preparation for the day. Only a few students noticed that the eyes of their teachers were unusually sharp, waiting, watchful.

Draco sat at the Slytherin table. Around him, him, the other Slytherin were just as alert as the teachers, anticipation of the day racing up and down the table in excited whispers and grins. Draco kept his face coolly impassive. Over the last few days he had regained some of his top status when he was seen to receive letters from his father, along with the others whose parents were loyal to the Dark Lord.

On the inside, he was fighting with his conscience, and his sense of familial and house loyalty. The letters had alerted Slytherin House of the pending evaluation and investigation of their Head of House and Potions professor. They were to be prepared to give testimony if called upon to do so. Draco saw the hand of his father in this investigation and if he knew anything, it was that his father felt like he had the upper hand to even begin this action. Something big was happening. He hated himself for wanting to wait and see which the wind was blowing before he made a decision. The thought made him realize that he was a coward, that he lacked true allegiance to either side. He stared up at the head table, and found Snape staring back. The black eyes were intense, and Draco saw absolute resolve on the teacher's face.

He looked over at the Gryffindor table. Where Slytherin was laughing and excited, that table and the others were subdued, waiting for whatever was coming with lowered voices. He caught the eye of Ron Weasley. The redhead looked at him, a grim set to his jaw. In the glare of the blue eyes, Draco saw that this was the day that this Weasley might decide whether or not Draco was the person Harry had told him he was.

Somehow, the resolved glitter of the black eyes and the challenge of the blue ones gave Draco a measure of courage. He was his own. He could make his own choice. He could side with what was right and not what was insane. He could do it and die, knowing that he had made a choice based on what he believed in and not what his father believed. Sitting up straighter, he took a deep breath and ate his breakfast. He had resolve of his own now.

The doors to the Great Hall opened with a bang and a group of wizards and witches entered. They were focused on the head table as they walked rapidly to the front, led by Lucius Malfoy.

The teachers and Dumbledore stood to receive them. Dumbledore wore his usual twinkling expression, as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. "Welcome to Hogwarts. May we offer you morning tea, or perhaps even breakfast after your journey?"

Malfoy looked around at his colleagues and then back at Dumbledore. "I think not, Headmaster. This is not a social call, after all. We would like to begin our business at once. I believe you have prepared a place where we may receive the required testimonies?"

"Yes, of course." The twinkle was gone now, Dumbledore dropping the effort at courtesy. "If you will follow me."

He led them to the room off the Great Hall, a room filled with trophies and other tokens of achievements from the centuries of the school's existence. A long table had been set up, with chairs enough for the investigators and whomever they were questioning.

Malfoy frowned at the set-up and murmured, "This won't do at all." He gave a wave of the silver snake-headed cane in his hand. The table turned and the chairs were arranged along one long side. It was raised higher, now sitting on a platform. A single chair sat in front of the table on the floor below.

Dumbledore peered sharply at Malfoy over the top of his half-moon glasses. He recognized the arrangement as one designed to intimidate whoever was being questioned.

Malfoy took the seat in the center and the others took the remaining ones at his side. With another flick of his cane, a rolled parchment appeared in the air in front of Dumbledore. Malfoy smiled benignly. "If you would send in our requested witnesses one at a time, we will begin."

Dumbledore fixed each person at the table with an intent look. Some were looking down at the table uncomfortably. Others were looking at Malfoy as if waiting for a sign of what they were to do.

Dumbledore unrolled the parchment. After perusing it he looked at Malfoy. "Most of these are students. I cannot allow you to question them without an adult by their side."

"I will not have their testimony influenced by outside interests," Malfoy said firmly.

"Nor will I." Dumbledore's expression was formidable.

Malfoy sat back in his seat, contemplating the matter. "One impartial teacher may accompany each student. I will choose –"

"_I_ will choose who accompanies each student. They are under my care, after all. In addition, I believe that it is my right to be present for the investigation of one of my professors." Dumbledore's tone challenged Malfoy and raked each person at the table, daring them to protest.

Malfoy did not like having the control of the investigation not firmly in his hands. He glared at Dumbledore before giving him a curt nod. "The first witness, if you please."

Classes were suspended so that all students could remain ready in the Great Hall, in case they were called for questioning. Various ones were summoned, each accompanied by their Head of House when going before the Investigative Committee.

Most were done very quickly; questioned briefly and returned to the waiting. Dumbledore came out and intoned, "Hermione Granger." As she walked by, he gave her shoulder a brief squeeze. In his blue eyes she saw him willing more courage for her to face the panel. She hesitated, wondering why he would take the time to do this for her when she had not noticed him doing it for anyone else. Perhaps he believed that it was still too close to the deaths of her parents and she needed the extra encouragement.

She followed Professor McGonagall and sat down in the chair she indicated. The professor stood slightly behind her.

Hermione looked up at the line of wizards and witches sitting at the table. Lucius Malfoy had a mocking smile as he stated, "Miss Granger, my condolences on your recent loss. We would understand if you are not up to answering our questions."

She raised her chin and spoke clearly. "I am fine, sir. I am perfectly capable of answering any questions you have. As for your sympathies … they are completely unnecessary …" There was an unspoken additional "… coming from you." That she knew Malfoy read in her face.

Malfoy lost his smile and sat forward. "Very well. Miss Granger, we would like to hear how your Potions classes are going; in particular, do you feel adequately taught in the subject?"

Hermione gazed at the panel members as they stared down at her. The ones on either side of Malfoy had their chins in the palms of their hands. They looked as if they could take a nap and get just as much from the proceedings. They clearly had not been paying any attention and she guessed it was because they already had their minds made up regarding the outcome.

The others looked at her curiously, as if they had heard of her and were wanting to see if she came close to what they expected.

Sitting up straighter, Hermione chose her words carefully. "Hogwarts has one of the premier Potions Masters of Europe teaching the class. Of course the class is much more than adequate. It is a difficult subject for a lot of students, but I find it challenging."

Malfoy drummed fingertips on the table. "I am asking if the professor who teaches the class is doing his job, Miss Granger. A simple enough question, I believe."

Before she could answer further, he gave a sudden "Ah-h," as if only then realizing something. "You are Muggleborn, aren't you? I am sorry. You have nothing to compare the level of instruction to, do you?"

Hermione stiffened. "Muggle and Muggleborns do attend school, sir. I am familiar with classes that are brilliant as well as those which lack substance. Potions is one of the few at Hogwarts that does have substance."

Malfoy looked displeased. This was not what he wanted to hear from this witness. He would have to be more direct. "But Miss Granger, have I heard correctly that this professor constantly derides your abilities in the subject, as well as subjecting you to ridicule when you show enthusiasm?"

Hermione realized that Malfoy was going on information he must have heard from Draco at some time. For a moment, she felt a flash of anger at the slimy Slytherin.

Malfoy saw the anger and his smile was back, thinking that at last they would have what they were after.

Hermione spoke calmly. "Potions is a dangerous subject. Professor Snape is fully aware of every movement any student makes. If he makes such comments, it is only to ensure the safety of everyone in the class. He is a brilliant teacher, and personal feelings have nothing to do with that."

"You are avoiding the question, Miss Granger. How do you feel about the way you are being taught? Being a Gryffindor under the instruction of a … Slytherin professor must be difficult for you."

Color bloomed in Hermione's cheeks. She knew they were fishing for derogatory comments about Snape now. As much as her impulse was to give them what they wanted, she saw Harry's face in her mind. If Snape was relieved of his teaching duties, sent away from Hogwarts, Harry would be devastated. Snape was a good teacher, even if he had picked on Gryffindor in the past.

"Sir, I believe you are attempting to coerce me into maligning Professor Snape as a teacher. You won't hear anything of the sort from me, as there is nothing to say. He is an excellent teacher and he does his utmost to protect his students and teach them to the best of his ability."

Malfoy's face was growing livid. Granger had been a sure thing; he had been certain that she would be the one to report that Snape was a cruel and insensitive teacher who baited and bullied students who were not Slytherin.

There was a fair amount of whispering up and down the table. Malfoy banged the head of his cane on the table for order. "Thank you for your testimony, Miss Granger." She stood and turned to leave, but halted as Malfoy continued, "There is another matter I- _we_ wish to ask you about."

Hermione looked at Professor McGonagall in question. She glanced over at Dumbledore who sat near the door. At his nod, Hermione turned and sat back down.

Malfoy regarded her closely. "I am given to understand that there is a student who has not regularly attended classes for some time. From the report I heard, he has only recently returned, but still does not reside in his house. The charter of the school is quite specific regarding the attendance required to remain enrolled –"

Dumbledore interrupted, "Miss Granger has no knowledge of the Hogwarts charter, Mr. Malfoy; therefore, she is in no position to answer whatever question you ask."

"I merely wish to hear from her whether or not it is true that a student has been absent for an extensive period of time. It requires no knowledge of the charter per se." The aristocratic face was intent on Hermione.

She sat still for a few minutes, glaring at Malfoy. He began to sit back, certain that her answer would at least make his mission to rid Hogwarts of at least one person today successful. The other Board members sat expectantly.

Hermione slowly got to her feet. "If I may be allowed to stand?" At Malfoy's nod, she began to speak. "I am somewhat familiar with the Charter of Hogwarts."

Excited whispers broke out again among those on either side of Malfoy. His glare stopped them.

Hermione glanced at Professor Dumbledore who was also now standing. He gave her a nod, his blue eyes twinkling again.

"According to Hogwarts, A History, the charter of the school is to provide a magical education to any eligible child. It does specify that minimum scores are required to move up to the next year, and that to be able to go into a chosen career field specific scores in OWLs and NEWTs must be obtained." She paused, gathering her thoughts. "However, it does not specify that a student be in an actual classroom for instruction. That is more of a convenience for the instructors themselves."

Louder whispering broke out and there were more than a few grins hidden behind hands. Malfoy narrowed his eyes. "That will be all, Miss Granger. We did not ask for a lesson in history."

A witch on the end of the table protested, "Wait, I want to hear what she has to say. It seems she does know about the charter after all." There were murmurs of agreement and Malfoy was forced to give her a stiff nod to continue.

"In fact, there were times in the history of Hogwarts where accommodations were made to teach children born of mixed parentage who required specific living arrangements. There has been more than a few vampire children, a couple of werewolves, and at least one mermaid, to name a few. Those children could not always attend class with their classmates and housemates. The were allowed to do their work and demonstrate their proficiency at magic separately from others. They had the same reading and written assignments and they did those just the same as every other student."

She stopped to look up at the row of wizards and witches watching her. With the exception of Malfoy, they were fixed on her. Blushing, she waved a dismissive hand. "Of course, it has been in the last century that those children have been omitted from the register, due to the newer insistence in blood being important to wizarding family lines…but the charter that accommodations must be made for those who need it is still in effect." She looked directly at Lucius Malfoy, her eyes not wavering as he gave her an icy glare. "I know that you are speaking about Harry Potter, sir. I can assure you that he has done every bit of work assigned by all our teachers. In fact, he is ahead of all of us. He has not left the school proper. He has always been here. According to the charter, Harry is a full student as long as he resides within the walls of Hogwarts."

Dumbledore stepped up beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I am able to assure the Board that Mr. Potter has not left the school since the start of term. I would be happy to gather his grades from his professors and even a sample of the work he has done, if it will help to convince you that the boy has done what is required of every student."

Malfoy's eye was twitching and his jaw was clenched. "That won't be necessary. You may go, Miss Granger."

As she walked out of the room, she could hear several of the witches and wizards saying that _they_ would like to see Harry Potter's work …

Out in the Great Hall, she fell onto the bench and laid her head on the table. Ron patted her on the back. "Alright there, 'Mione?"

"It was awful, Ron!" She looked up at him and then up at the head table where Snape sat looking back. She flushed at remembering how she had supported him as a teacher to Malfoy. Looking back to Ron, she said, "They're trying to get Snape out by making it look like he's a bad teacher. When I didn't back that up, they went after Harry, saying that he couldn't be a student if he had not been in classes. I had to tell them what Hogwarts, A History said about the school charter allowing students with different needs to participate in alternative ways."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "You stood up for Snape?" At her nod, he went on, "I guess it's a good thing you read that book, huh?"

They looked up as Draco Malfoy walked towards the room to be questioned. He looked neither right nor left, but they could seem the grim determination on his face.

Hermione looked back at Snape. His face was equally as grim.

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**A/N**_ Thanks for all the reviews, you wonderful readers!_

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	20. Chapter 20

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 20

_They looked up as Draco Malfoy walked towards the room to be questioned. He looked neither right nor left, but they could seem the grim determination on his face._

_Hermione looked back at Snape. His face was equally as grim._

Draco walked into the room, the picture of the son of an aristocrat. He kept his back straight and instead of taking the offered chair, he remained standing, hands clasped behind his back. For a time, he wondered if that wasn't a mistake. What if his legs failed to hold his weight at some point in this inquisition?

Professor Sinistra had been pressed into service as stand in for the Slytherins' Head of House as they were questioned and she stood behind Draco.

Lucius smiled down at his only son. Draco gave him a polite incline of the head in acknowledgment.

"Hello, son. You do understand that for the purposes of this inquiry, I must now address you as if you were any other student?"

"Of course, sir." Draco met his fathers eyes and then looked at each person on the panel. The ones on either side of him were also Death Eaters, although low ranking ones. Along the line, there were those whom Draco knew to be influenced by well-placed 'donations'.

The last few were normal Board of Governor members. Draco guessed that they could be easily persuaded by the others, should the need arise. These were the ones he focused on now. Whatever had already been said and heard, he would now try to make sure the truth was known. Looking back at his father, Draco saw the calculation in the grey eyes, the expectation that the son would now tie up any loose ends in this drama. He suppressed a shiver at the anger he knew would erupt from Lucius later.

Lucius addressed him again, formally, "Mr. Malfoy, would you tell the panel what your house affiliation is?"

"I am a prefect in the house of Slytherin, sir."

"Ah-h, a Prefect. So you bear a greater responsibility than most students, do you not? You likely are in a position to see and know more of what is happening in your own house, and certainly, you would be aware of how the other students feel?"

Draco nodded coolly. "I am aware of my house mates' feelings regarding most things. It is my duty to see that they keep out of trouble."

"Perhaps you would share with this panel the current state of your house? How goes it with your Head of House?"

"Professor Snape?" Draco raised arched brows innocently. "What is it that you wish to know?"

"Our investigation centers on the charge that the Professor has been, shall we say, less than supportive of late. Would you care to confirm that?"

Draco stood silent for a moment, knowing that this would begin his descent from his fathers favor. "Professor Snape has always been an excellent Head of House."

"Yes, in the past he has had his heart in the right place, I'm sure." Lucius leaned forward and stared at Draco, eyes demanding. "We are interested in his current involvement. Our information is that he has been encouraging the House of Slytherin to suppress their feelings of loyalty."

"If you mean that he has taken steps to see that our house behaves in a more mature fashion and avoid childish one-upmanships, then yes, I suppose you could say that. But I would not say that he suppresses house loyalty. On the contrary, he encourages house pride."

Lucius had the beginnings of a thunderous expression. "Mr. Malfoy, you do not need to fear retribution from Professor Snape. You may feel free to speak the truth to this panel."

"Oh, I am telling the truth. Professor Snape is always available to anyone in our house, form the oldest student with anxiety over a test, to the youngest first year with homesickness. When our house is engaged in any competitive activity, Professor Snape is always there, cheering us on."

"_Cheering_ you on …" Lucius almost sneered.

Draco gave a soft laugh. "I suppose the word cheer doesn't exactly fit the man. When I say cheer, I mean that he is there, in person, supporting the efforts of Slytherin. He does have a dignity that prohibits the type of public display of emotion that you see from other Heads of House … you're not faulting him on that, are you?"

There were whispers along the panel as they conferred with one another. Lucius gave an impatient rap of the cane. "Mr. Malfoy, has Professor Snape ever given you indication that he is not what he seems?"

"Not what he seems? He is our Head of House. He is tough but fair. If anything, he could be said to show a decided favoritism towards Slytherin. I'm not sure what you mean by him not being what he seems."

There was certain thunder on the elder Malfoy's face now as he glared at his son. "I mean, has he attempted to persuade you towards loyalties that are … not appropriate?"

If the situation had not been so serious, Draco would have laughed at the struggle his father was having: trying to get Draco to say that Snape had been dissuading Slytherins from following the Dark Lord without saying it in those exact words. What could he say, really? That Snape was not a loyal follower of He Who Must Not Be Named like you are, father? That Snape had given him the acceptance that Draco had never felt from Lucius, based on his own merit and not on expectations? Draco regarded Lucius for a long time, knowing that this next statement would likely seal his father's wrath against him.

"No, sir. Professor Snape has never attempted to persuade the House of Slytherin towards any particular loyalties. In fact, he quite often tells us that we should examine all sides of an issue before making a decision. We should make choices based on facts we have uncovered ourselves and not accept at face value those that are given us by others. He tells us that Slytherin are not sheep, to blindly follow where others might lead us along a path of sure destruction. He tells us that the easiest path is often not the right path. He tells us that a personal sense of honor is worth more than any amount of social or economic stature. True Slytherins do not allow others to maneuver them."

The table erupted into full-out excited conversation along its line. Lucius sat glaring coldly at Draco. Draco stared back, willing himself to hold firm in standing there facing the man who he knew was an upper echelon Death Eater; the man he had now betrayed by standing against him. The letters to the Slytherin children had been quite specific in what was expected, should they be asked to testify. Unfortunately for Draco, those letters self-destructed minutes after they had been read.

The witch on one end stood up. "I move that these proceedings cease. I believe the information that came into our hands was false and that the accusations brought against Professor Snape be dropped."

Lucius stood then. "There are other students that may be more forthcoming –"

"These last two have been extremely forthcoming. They were both prefects of their houses. One was from a house that has historically been the antithesis of Slytherin and by all accounts should have readily confirmed the accusations, had they been true.

"This young man is a prefect in the Slytherin house and your son, Lucius. I would think that he would know whether or not Professor Snape was, as you said, unsupportive of his students. By his report, the Professor goes above and beyond the normal Head of House duties."

All the others along the table were nodding in agreement, with the exception of the two on each side of Lucius.

Professor Dumbledore came to stand beside Draco as Lucius narrowed his eyes at the panel. Turning to Dumbledore, he spoke with barely concealed rage. "It would seem, Headmaster, that our current investigation is at an end."

He moved down to stand in front of his son, eyes piercing. The unspoken message was clear. Lucius would be dealing with Draco concerning this betrayal.

Out in the Great Hall, Snape surged to his feet as Harry's voice screamed in his mind.

'_He's going to kill you! Get out now!'_

Several people looked up at the towering Potions Master as he stood breathing quickly, a startled expression on his face that was quickly wiped away. Snape gained control of his surprise. _'Harry – what is it? Who are you talking about?'_

'_Malfoy! He's very angry at you, at Draco … Hermione is in his mind … and Dumbledore …'_ His voice trailed for a moment. He seemed to be gaining some control over himself. Snape could sense him drawing a deep breath, steadying himself.

'_Malfoy has lost what he wanted today … he's very angry at you all, so much that he'd kill you in a moment if he can … but he knows this isn't the place … okay … he's getting it under control now …'_

Snape was still standing as the door of the Trophy Room opened and Lucius Malfoy exited, followed by the rest of the Board. His obsidian eyes met the icy grey ones and he knew that Harry had seen the raw anger that Malfoy had felt. The rage in the grey eyes was still great, although now subdued. Malfoy's entire bearing was one of an animal tensed for attack. His silver-headed cane was held out in front of him in a way that was decidedly threatening to one who knew it housed his wand.

Snape's hand twitched to draw his own wand, but would not until the last possible, absolutely necessary moment, here in a room filled with students.

Malfoy strode towards Snape, stopping directly in front of him. In a voice no one else could hear except Snape, Malfoy spoke, "It seems you have my son's loyalty, Potions Master. It seems yours has been displaced from our Lord. Make no mistake … I will have you for this. Perhaps not today, but in time, you will pay. The Dark Lord will reward me with your blood and I will spill it with great joy. After that, I will take great pleasure in returning Mr. Potter to his loving relatives." He stepped back, his teeth bared in a hideous smile. In a louder voice he said, "Professor Snape, at this time the Board finds no reason to further question the matter we came here for today. Please accept the apologies of the Board of Governors for the inconvenience caused by this inquiry. We bid you good day."

He turned on his heel and strode out of the room. The other Board members walked quickly to catch up with him.

Dumbledore stood with a very pale Draco. After giving the boy's shoulder a squeeze, he went up to the head table. His eyes met Snape's long enough to gain the message of what had passed between him and Malfoy. Snape also let him know what Harry had seen of Malfoy's thoughts. With a small nod of understanding, Dumbledore faced the room.

"It seems that the Board of Governors has concluded their business more quickly than anticipated. As it is almost lunchtime, I will keep the suspension of classes until then. Afternoon classes will take place as usual."

There were murmurs of complaint around the room, but it was quickly drowned out by students who were gathering their things and talking more loudly than they had been.

Snape turned back to Dumbledore. "Are you going to show me what happened?"

"Yes, I believe you should see it. It was extremely interesting. I could not have planned it better myself. There was the perfect balance of support for you from two opposing houses. Mr. Malfoy's plan was obviously dashed quite thoroughly. He was unable to make any headway towards what Harry saw in his dream."

"Then you believe the outcome of the dream was altered?"

"That, I do not know. Premonitions can be quite persistent. He may not have realized his goal today, but I do not believe he is one to give up easily."

"I agree. Then you will still have the solicitor make sure of the custodial issues; that they aren't being tampered with?"

"It is being done as we speak."

Snape nodded his appreciation before stepping away and down towards Draco. The blond teenager was holding on to his calm with a bare thread. He looked up into Snape's face, a crack in the cool veneer showing. "My father will kill me when he gets the chance. I could see it in his face."

"He will not get the chance." He gave Draco's shoulder another reassuring squeeze. "There will be another house meeting this evening. Please inform everyone."

Draco nodded and walked away towards the Slytherin table. Snape stood watching for a few moments, seeing that the others were readily talking to him, seeming to accept him into their midst without hesitation.

Snape hurried from the room, intent upon getting to Harry next. Footsteps at his heels had him turning around rapidly, almost colliding with Ron and Hermione as they ran to catch up with him.

Hermione panted, "Will it all be alright now, sir?"

Snape searched her face, trying unsuccessfully to come up with a scathing reply. "For the moment, all is well. However, do not let your guard down, Miss Granger, not for a second. Mr. Malfoy is most displeased with the outcome of this inquiry." He considered for a moment and then added, "Harry saw that for some reason, you are one that he is particularly angry at. Whatever did you say in there?"

Hermione blushed and looked away. "I just told the truth, sir."

Ron stepped forward. "Is 'Mione in danger now?"

"I believe that she is safe for now." He gave them both an appraising look, seeming to be debating within himself. Then, "You will want to be wary of Slytherins, but I believe you always have been."

Ron gaped in disbelief. "You're warning her about your own house?"

"Contrary to your fervent belief, Mr. Weasley, I am aware that there are students in my house who lack impulse control and possess abysmal judgment … somewhat like a few Gryffindors I am familiar with."

With that said, he whirled away, robes a black billow as he walked rapidly, the black cane not in use, but in his hand.

By the time he reached Harry's rooms, he was forced to use the cane again, the tension of the morning and his rapid walk in this direction stretching his back to its limit.

When he entered the room, Harry almost knocked him to the ground in his rush to put arms around him. In the next instant, he had drawn back a fist and hit Snape in the arm as hard as he could. Snape barely kept himself from grabbing the boy and shaking him. With all the restraint he possessed, he said softly, "I can see that you are still quite angry."

"What did you think I'd be; happy that you locked me up? You think I'd just go, 'Okay, whatever you say, Sev, I like being kept away from the friends I was just getting used to being around again.'" Harry was breathing heavily, fists still clenched at his side.

Snape looked around at Madam Pomfrey. She shrugged lightly. "He's been fine with me, aside from that upset a little while ago when he seemed to be in fear for you."

Snape nodded. "If there is anything you wish to take care of right now, I'll be here through lunch. Professor Dumbledore has said that regular classes will resume after that."

"Yes, well, I could go and get more potions that you may require." She looked at him critically. "You look as if you could use a pain relief potion yourself."

"I could. I would appreciate you bringing one back when you return."

She left and Snape went to sit on the sofa. Breathing a sigh at being off his feet, he looked up at Harry and motioned him to sit. Harry went to the settee, unwilling to sit next to the man just yet.

Snape stared at him for a long moment before beginning. "Firstly, do not ever raise your hand in anger to me again, Harry. I have pledged to care for you and I will never raise a hand in anger to you. I expect the same in return." He waited until Harry gave a nod of understanding.

"Second, I have given you leave to call me by my first name. My name is Severus; not _Sev_." He waited again until Harry acknowledged that.

"Good. Now we can move on to the issues that are important to you. Do you recall the dream you had last night?"

"Yes. Malfoy is trying to get me back with my uncle so he can control me through him. He 's trying to get me to doubt you, telling me you care only about the Potter gold."

"And do you recall your reaction to that dream?"

Harry grew still. "What? "

"Harry, whatever power has been awakened in you, the power that comes forth as heat, it manifested itself in your dream last night. It was only by working together that Albus and I were able to get you to focus your anger on a bed in the infirmary."

Harry stared at him. "What happened?"

"The bed was reduced to ash."

"So, if I have a nightmare, I could destroy … hurt my friends …" The realization of the danger he was hit him all at once. He seemed to shrink in upon himself, drawing up his knees to his chest.

Snape moved over to the settee and pulled Harry up against his side. Harry leaned on him. "I have told you before, we will solve the problem. When we do, you will be able to rejoin your friends. For now, it is best if we avoid putting you into situations that are likely to cause problems." He hugged the boy closer, feeling the need for the contact.

"What if we don't solve it?"

"We will." Snape's voice was firm. He allowed them both a few minutes of merely being close. He found that it calmed him, after spending the morning not knowing what he might be forced to do. As he had sat in the Great Hall, he had tried to formulate a plan to pursue should Malfoy prevail. All he could think of was that whatever the cost, he would have to make sure Harry never went back to Vernon Dursley.

Harry spoke quietly from his place against Snape, "So my dream didn't come true today? Does that mean that it won't?"

"We are unsure. It has at least been averted for now. Our experience with premonitions is limited, as it is such an inexact area of magic."

"Like Professor Trelawney?"

"She has made only one known true prophetic statement. The rest is rambling and drama. She would hardly be the expert to whom we go with this. Albus is researching the matter. It remains to be seen if the entire premonition can be changed or negated."

"So it can still happen? He could still somehow get me back to the Dursleys?"

Snape pulled him against his side more firmly. "We will be vigilant and I will not let that happen."

Harry relaxed and fell into silence once more. After a few more minutes, Snape said, "I believe it is lunch time. Shall we see what the box Madam brought has inside?"

Harry got up and went to the table where Madam Pomfrey had set up the food box. He selected roast chicken and potatoes for them both.

As he chewed, he said, "This is much better than transfigured books. I guess you knowing where I am has more than one advantage."

"I expect you to eat well. We will be working intensely in the evenings. The sooner you get your emotions and the hot magic under your control, the sooner you will be back with your friends."

Harry sat for a moment and then asked, "Is there any chance at all that you'll let me play in the game on Saturday?"

Snape saw the hopeful expression and wanted to say yes. "Let me think on it and consult with Albus. Perhaps with enough adult wizards in attendance who know of the problem, we can make a plan to prevent excessive danger." At Harry's excited smile, he added, "It is not a certain thing, you understand? I said we will think about it."

"But you aren't saying flat out no. That means a lot." He threw his arms around Snape's waist, giving him a fierce hug and earning a pained grunt from Snape. Sitting back, he searched the man's face. "Your back is still hurting a lot, isn't it? Why hasn't it got better yet? With all Madam's help, and with my healing magic, why is it still like this?"

"I suspect that it will simply take more time. The injury was inflicted by the Dark Lord himself, as well as the most accomplished of the Death Eaters acting together. The damage is deep."

Harry put his arms around the man again, gently, placing the palms of his hands flat against his back. Concentrating hard, he felt his healing energy flow from his hands into the muscles and bones under their touch. This was an easy transfer of energy, unlike that out on the ground by the gate, when Harry had been scared, frantic to make sure the man wasn't dying, wouldn't be paralyzed. Then, he had pushed himself quickly to the limit of his ability. Now, he was able to relax and feel a sense of sharing.

They stayed that way until Madam Pomfrey returned. She held out the pain relief potion to Snape, but after stretching and twisting from side to side, he shook his head.

"I believe Harry has completed the healing this time." To Harry he said softly, "Thank you."

Harry bent his head, "I'm sorry I hit you earlier. I won't do it again."

"I know that you won't." Snape tipped the boy's head back up with a finger under his chin. "I will return this evening after dinner and the house meeting I must have. Do your school work, but rest, too, so that you'll be ready to duel."

Harry nodded. "I will."

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	21. Chapter 21

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 21:

Snape strode into the Slytherin Common Room, robes seeming to swirl even more menacingly around him than usual. As prefect, Draco had made certain that every student of every year was present. They stood grouped by year, robes immaculate, and expressions suitably respectful. This second meeting in as many weeks had them on edge. They knew that it had been their Head of House who had been the subject of the Board of Governors's investigation. Some of the senior students had been gleeful in their assurance that Snape would be out, according to their parent's letters. Now that the Board had declared the charges to be false, they were on uncertain footing. Without guidance from their families, they were at a loss as to how they should behave.

After some covert discussion, Blaise and Pansy had decided that as Draco's father had been in charge, and Draco had been questioned and was still among them, the situation must have been under control. Perhaps they should lie back and wait for further word from their parents. They had conveyed this wait and see position to the other children of Death Eaters and now they stood, attention focused on their Head of House.

Snape surveyed them intently and sharply, causing a few first years to burst into tears. Without hesitation, Snape pulled a handkerchief from the pockets of his robes for each child, giving them a brief pat on the head as he pressed the cloth into their hands. There were more than a few stunned expressions, which were quickly masked, from the upper years.

He waited until the nose-blowing was done before he began. "As you well know, the reputation of the House of Slytherin was under attack this morning."

Pansy interrupted, "You mean _your_ reputation was under attack, sir."

He pierced her with a scathing glare. "No, Miss Parkinson, I mean _our_ _house_." He kept his eyes locked on hers fiercely until she paled and looked away. "When one member of our house falls under suspicion, we all suffer for it. The name of Slytherin has a vast history of pride, of solidarity. There is an old Muggle saying that says 'one bad apple spoils the whole lot'. When there is a bit of rotten fruit in the basket, the decay and spoiling spreads quickly to the good fruit."

The students were staring at him. Some were wondering if he had lost his senses to be talking about fruit. But the oldest Slytherins understood the symbolism and they were shifting uneasily.

"It is enough that the houses of Hogwarts compete against each other for points, Quidditch glory and the House cup. Conflict within the house itself weakens the bonds we must maintain. Little bits of rot allowed to fester will ruin the whole house, if not excised."

Pansy and Blaise looked at each other sideways. Draco stood calmly, hands clasped behind his back. Snape caught his eye and Draco gave him a barely noticeable nod. Snape let his black eyes settle onto the two leaders. "Slytherins do not behave like spineless Hufflepuffs, being led about by the nose, and maneuvered into whatever the stronger person wants them to think or do. Slytherins are free thinkers, examining the information laid before them, peeling back the layers until the truth is exposed. Slytherins are not afraid to take a path that is more difficult, if that path is the right one."

Now Pansy and Blaise understood him. He was challenging their belief in the right of following the Dark Lord. Pansy looked uncertain, whereas Blaise had clenched his teeth in determination.

"I believe what my parents believe, " Blaise muttered. "I believe that Mudbloods should be kept out, that Muggles are lowlifes –"

Snape had stepped forward and stood towering over the student, nose-to-nose. His voice was soft. "Have you examined your family tree in detail, Mr. Zabini? If not, I happen to have unabridged editions of _Wizard Family History, Obscure Bloodlines, and Linking The Past With the Present_. It is most interesting to note that so-called Pure Blood Families derived from a past of intermarriage with Muggleborns, Muggles, and Half- bloods. Do you honestly believe that simply obliterating the evidence from a page or a chart obliterates the truth?"

Blaise swallowed hard and then said, "They would tell me if that was so."

"Would they? Would they admit that if it meant that their loyalty to the wrong side might be questioned?"

Blaise flushed angrily. "You're saying that they pledged their lives to the wrong side? When I tell my father –"

"Oh, please do tell him. I'm sure that he will hurry to prove me wrong and in doing so uncover even more truth."

Snape walked slowly down the line of Slytherins. 'Yes, I believe some research into each of your own family trees might prove enlightening."

"But we all know our family tree. We've been taught our heritage all our lives." Pansy glared up at Snape.

"You know what they wish to be true, not what _is_ true." He gave them considering looks. "The seventh years will begin tonight. I want a complete pedigree showing your lineage back ten generations, on both sides. You will find what you need in the volumes I provide. You will help one another, seeing that there are no secrets or omissions regarding your bloodline. The prejudice will end in the House of Slytherin and it will end now."

With a nod to Draco, Snape turned and strode out of the common room.

Draco said quietly, "First through sixth years are dismissed to get to your dormitories. Seventh years will stay here to work on your pedigrees."

Blaise sneered at him. "I suppose you are exempt, Malfoy?"

"No. Professor Snape made it clear that I was included in being expected to complete the assignment."

Blaise relaxed a bit, knowing that Draco wasn't getting any special treatment. The seventh years began to gather at the table to start their research.

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Draco was surprised when the Slytherins began to become very interested in their family histories. Once they started, parchment was strewn over the table and floor as they mapped out lines of descent, marriages, and births. Even Blaise and Pansy became immersed in the project, scribbling notes next to names, whispering to each other with worried eyes.

Draco worked alongside Goyle and Crabbe, dismayed, but unsurprised at finding several instances of ancestors who married Muggles or Half-bloods in his direct line. Snape had assured him that these reference books had not been tampered with or spelled to falsify lines, as had so many that so called Purebloods had in their home libraries. He had cast spells to ensure that these could not be changed to show anything but truth.

By the time they had finished, it was well past curfew. Snape came back into the room as they were rolling up their parchments. Holding up a hand, he said quietly, "Post them on the wall. The House of Slytherin will share the truth about each member's bloodline."

Blaise reddened. "You're trying to embarrass us."

"The pedigrees will be posted here. Each of your pedigrees can be shared with those outside only if you wish it. I would not have your lessons learned be shouted to the other houses." He waved a hand and muttered an incantation. "They are now sealed so that while other Slytherins may view them, only the owner may divulge the details to any outside Slytherin."

The seventh years places sticking charms on their pedigrees and placed them on the wall. Snape nodded. 'Now to bed. Tomorrow night, you will assist the first years with theirs while the sixth years do their own. Over the next few evenings, you will also help the fourth years, and then fifth. Sixth years will help second and third."

No one dared to protest. Knowing their Professors usual method of detention, this was quite easy, even if it was disturbing as a result. At least he wasn't having them post their family lines in the Great Hall. The walked silently to their dormitory, leaving the Potions Master perusing the parchments that now hung on the wall.

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When Harry woke up again, he felt ravenous. Sitting up in the bed, he noted that he wasn't at all dizzy, nor did he feel the weakness caused by being feverish. He was just getting out of the bed when Madam Pomfrey walked in.

"Get back in that bed this instant, Mr. Potter."

"But, I –"

"Do not argue." Snape stood in the door. "Until she checks you over, you will remain in bed."

"But I feel fine now. I'm not even dizzy!"

Harry huffed in exasperation and climbed back in, lying on top of the sheets with his arms crossed. Pomfrey ran her wand up and down the length of him several times. Finally, she sighed, "He seems to be back to his normal baseline. He has no sign of fever, and his magical status shows no sign of depletion. He does, however, need to eat."

"I want to eat with my friends." He looked up at Snape hopefully.

Snape was giving him a considering look. "You cannot let yourself to be led into any kind of confrontation. I will allow it, but the moment I observe you getting upset, I will remove you from others. I expect you to monitor yourself as well. Until we know how this energy works in you, we must be careful."

Harry jumped out of the bed with a smile. "I'll be careful." He pulled on the clean robes that Snape held out to him.

Madam Pomfrey shook her head as they walked out, calling, "Do try to make me miss you before you come back again."

Harry stopped. He looked up at Snape for a moment and then walked back to stand in front of the mediwitch. "You've always taken care of me when I've been hurt or sick. I've always been in such a hurry to get out of here that I don't think I've ever said thank you." His green eyes were solemn. "Thank you for everything. I _will_ try not to be back too soon."

Pomfrey gave him a stern look before briskly patting his shoulder. "Go get your breakfast before I change my mind about letting you out of here."

Harry hurried back to Snape and they continued back to the Great Hall. At the door, they went to their own tables. The Gryffindors welcomed Harry back, loading up his plate with assorted breakfast foods.

The twins questioned, "So, Harry …"

"Are you playing tomorrow …"

"Or not?"

Harry looked at the hopeful team that had quickly surrounded him. In his mind, he heard Snape. _'Are they asking about Quidditch?'_

Harry glanced up at the head table. '_Are you letting me play?'_

'_I have spoken to the Headmaster. We believe that with planning, you may be able to. It will be a volatile situation, you understand.'_

Harry answered him and his teammates at the same time, "I think I'll be up for it. I want to."

The table erupted in cheers, drawing the attention of the rest of the hall. Ron and Hermione looked uncertain until they looked up at Snape. Seeing him give a small incline of his head, they turned back to Harry with smiles as big as everyone else's.

Quietly in Harry's ear, Hermione asked, "What are they doing to keep you safe?"

At Harry's casual shrug, her frown returned, but she said nothing else.

Harry was glad to be back in class. Even History was bearable, now that he was looking at it with a different perspective.

The Slytherins seemed eerily subdued, making Harry ask through the link after Charms, _'What did you do to your house? These aren't the same people as the other day. They're actually staying out of my face, and they're not trying to bait Hermione.'_

'_Do not concern yourself with them. I am taking care of them.'_

'_I know, but how?'_

'_This is one of those times –'_

'_Okay, okay. Forget I asked. As long as they stay like this, I guess I don't have to know why.'_

'_Very good of you to realize that.'_ The mind voice was sarcastic

'_I know,'_ Harry quipped back.

Dinner was even more exciting than breakfast, now that classes were past and everyone began to anticipate the coming game in earnest. Harry didn't feel nervous, but he knew himself well enough to know that was coming. He knew Snape would be having him checked by Pomfrey again, and he knew that he would probably be talking to him about how to behave during the game.

Sure enough, the request came at the end of dinner.

'_Harry, bring Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger with you to the room where you dueled Draco and I.'_

Harry stood up and motioned to his friends. "Come on. Time to find out the answer to your question, 'Mione."

They followed him to the dungeons. Ron and Hermione stopped short upon entering the cavernous room. Harry moved to Snape and looked at him intently.

Snape answered his unspoken question, "No surprises this time. We are all planning together. The headmaster and I have decided that isolating you is not the answer. You have to be able to be with others and maintain control."

Harry looked around. In addition to Snape, Dumbledore, McGonagall and Flitwick were there. Draco walked in and was standing next to a scowling Ron.

Snape stepped to the middle of the room and beckoned them all around. "Harry will play tomorrow. He needs to focus on the game, so we will be on the alert for anything that may cause him to shift his focus to anyone or anything else. If it does happen, our duty will be to shield as many students as possible if he loses control of his magic."

He looked at Harry. "What you need to do is to have a planned focal point to send your attack, if it comes to at that. You need to have chosen a place or an object so that you will not have to find it at the needed moment." He spoke inside their minds, _'Do you think you can provide a safe demonstration if I give you a focal point now? They need to see what you are capable of so they will understand the magnitude of it.'_

'_Can you say something to make me angry?'_

'_Am I not a Slytherin?'_

Harry smirked and nodded. Snape stood back. "Your focal point is this suit of armour." He waved a hand, conjuring the heavily tarnished suit to the center of the floor. "Harry has agreed to allow me to provoke him so that you may witness his combined offensive and defensive abilities. Draco and I will duel him as before, this time with Harry knowing the plan. The rest of you to the sides of the room. When you feel any heat, please drop to the floor. Secure your wands now."

Harry almost laughed at the grip Draco had on his own wand as he moved into position. Snape looked as if he had a determined hold on his too. He wondered what Snape could say that would give him provocation, with him expecting it.

After everyone was in place, Snape intoned, "Begin."

Draco immediately sent a volley of hexes and jinxes at Harry that were repelled easily. Snape moved to a position like they had before, where Harry could only see them by moving his head from one to the other.

Snape gave him an evil-looking smile. Those observing would have been very worried if they had not been warned about the purpose of this exercise. "So you think you can win tomorrow, do you? You haven't been on a broom more than a half dozen times since last year. Your house merely feels sorry for you, Potter." He flung an array of hexes to shower Harry.

Hermione felt Ron tense beside her and laid a gripping hand on his arm to prevent him going to Harry's defense.

Draco doubled his efforts. "You should just give it up, Potter. I've been practicing all the time you've been out of commission. No way will you be able to get the snitch before I do." He gave Harry a challenging grin. "I can't believe you actually know how to shield and fight at the same time. Last time was an accident you can't repeat."

Snape and Draco were sending endless attack at Harry, of which he countered most. A few began to get through and he felt the sting and cramping in his muscles from some strong ones. Throwing up a hand and swinging it in an arc around himself, Harry erected a shield that was visible as a shimmer of electric blue light. Through it, he aimed some hexes of his own at his opponents. Snape repelled the ones meant for him, while Draco grunted as the one sent to him found a vulnerable opening through the shields he tried to set up.

Snape sent Harry a mental image of _morsemordre _hanging in stormy clouds.

The people in the room felt the rush of hot wind as it surged through the room. Following Dumbledore's lead, they hit the stone floor.

Snape shouted in Harry's mind, _'The armour! Focus on the armour!'_

Thunder shook the room as a brilliant flash of light left the observers temporarily blind. If they had not been on the floor already, they would have been flung backwards with the force of the heat that slammed outwards from Harry.

There was silence for a long moment. The sound of footsteps had everyone lifting their heads.

Snape was on his knees beside Harry, who was on his knees. Draco had got up and walked to the spot where the armour had stood. There was a six foot wide crater in the stone. The armour was totally gone.

Draco went to the observers and helped Flitwick up while Dumbledore helped McGonagall. Ron and Hermione were already hurrying towards Harry.

Snape had a hand on his forehead, relieved at not feeling fever. Harry looked up at him, eyes enormous. _'Is everyone alright?'_

'_Look around and see for yourself. They appear unscathed. The armour, on the other hand, is no more.'_

Dumbledore was standing beside them then. "Well done, Harry. You focused successfully and the rest of us are unhurt."

Ron said, "That was bloody brilliant! I could feel the magic of your attack. Good thing we were on the floor."

Hermione was patting her robes. "Is my wand the only one missing?"

Everyone immediately found that their wands were missing as well. Harry reached into a deep inside robe pocket and withdrew a handful of wands. Holding them out, he let the owners retrieve them.

Snape stood up and drew Harry to his feet. He felt shaky, but otherwise alright. He smiled weakly up at Snape's questioning expression. "Better this time. But I think some of it got away, didn't it? I felt it go out all around as I tried to focus on the armour."

"Yes, it did. But no one was hurt."

"You really think I should play?"

"I do not want it said that Slytherin won because you were not there. When we win, it will be because we have the better team."

McGonagall heard that comment and snorted in a very unladylike way. "Slytherin wouldn't have a chance if half our team was out. Even without Harry, this is the best team in years."

Flitwick tiptoed up toward Dumbledore and asked in a loud whisper, "Care for a friendly wager, Albus?"

The Headmaster put his hands up in surrender. "I prefer to remain neutral, Filius. As far as I am concerned, Hogwarts has four champion teams."

Harry and Draco looked at each other. Harry said quietly, "I expect you to do your best to win, you know."

"Oh, I'll win."

"I mean without cheating, Draco."

Draco looked at him with narrowed eyes before finally sighing, "I suppose that was deserved. But you can count on me doing my best to beat you."

"Good."

"Good."

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	22. Chapter 22

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 22:

Breakfast in the Great Hall was loud and the excitement was so thick that Harry thought he could feel it pressing in on him. For a few moments, he had to take some deep, steadying breaths to calm the sudden nerves that threatened to overtake him.

Snape was immediately in his mind. _'Is it apprehension for the game or something else?'_

'_I think it's just nerves … but I'm worried about my power, too. What if something happens and I get too angry?'_

'_You've chosen a target, as we discussed?'_

'_Yes. Depending on where I am in the pitch, it would be the goal rings on either end. I figure they are up in the air and away from people.'_

'_You will most likely not need a target. You will be intent on the game.'_

'_I know. I'm also thinking that you and Draco were right yesterday. I haven't been practicing for long and my broom time is way behind everyone else's. I might cause us to lose … not that _you'd_ cry over that.'_

'_Harry, you should know that I will be happy if Slytherin wins because it is my house, after all. But if Gryffindor wins because you catch the snitch, I will be proud of you. I will be happy for you, even if I'm not filled with joy for Gryffindor.'_

'_Really?'_

'_Yes, really.'_

Snape's assurance that he would be satisfied with either outcome somehow helped settle the biggest of the pixies swarming in Harry's stomach. He made himself finish a piece of toast with marmalade and a glass of pumpkin juice, just as the team rose as a group to go down to the pitch. He gave one last look at Snape, who gave him an encouraging nod.

Hermione followed the team down and took up a seat in the stands. She knew that Ron and Draco would be keeping a close watch from the air during the game. It was difficult to believe that Draco was really going to be able to play fairly, knowing that he could try and distract Harry with the knowledge that he had. But she was more willing to trust Harry and Snape's judgment about Draco than Ron was. He seemed to be intent on catching Draco out in cheating during the game, or baiting Harry.

The teams entered the pitch to roaring cheers from their own houses and a number of rude jeers from the opposing houses. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff yelling was divided, seeing that it was as yet unclear who would be in the lead for the House Cup this early in the school year. More people would take sides as the other teams played their turns and house points won and lost began to come into play.

Luna was the commentator again this year, her dreamy sounding voice a glaring counter to the excitement going on around her. She was introducing the players on the teams, but Harry wasn't really listening until she had begun to describe him in more detail than she had the others.

"… and it's interesting to note that Harry Potter hasn't been seen a lot this year. I have good evidence that he participates in classes and turns in all his assignments from wherever it is he is in the castle, but he must be afflicted with a severe case of snarklerosia, because he doesn't stay in his dormitory for any length of time … although, it could be that he was exposed to –"

"Miss Lovegood, Quidditch commentary only, please!" came McGonagall's exasperated voice.

"Of course, Professor … Harry Potter is the Gryffindor seeker and while he was a huge success in the past, his exposure to nefumions may have affected his abilities to make a speedy catch of the snitch this year … and there's the whistle, so it looks like the game has begun … and as anyone knows, nefumion exposure is quite nasty –"

"Miss Lovegood!"

"Oh! Was that a score already? Yes, Slytherin's chaser – I didn't see which one – has already made a score. My, this will be an interesting game …"

Harry rolled his eyes. Luna was a sweet girl, but they really should have someone who kept up with the action doing the play by. He was circling the pitch, trying to see the players and searching for the snitch at the same time.

Draco zoomed up and hovered beside him. "See it yet?"

Harry frowned, "I'm still sitting here, aren't I?"

"Yes, well, you could be waiting until the points are up before you go after it."

Harry was scanning the players and glanced quickly at Draco, "If you're worried about me, don't be. Now that I'm up here, I'm fine. Unless someone sends a rogue bludger after me, nothing can happen that will make me angry enough to react."

"Alright then. I'll see you after I win the game."

"You wish, Malfoy, you wish."

Draco sped away and Harry slowly circled. Down below, the score had been tied when Gryffindor got in a goal.

The game was rapidly becoming more aggressive, with the beaters aiming bludgers with accuracy. Ron was playing Gryffindor Keeper and one of the Slytherin beaters sent a bludger that almost knocked him from his broom when it hit him in the chest. Harry raced towards him, seeing him gripping the front of his robes as if unable to get his breath. Harry steadied him on the broom, keeping an eye on the Slytherin chasers trying to make their way to another score. Ron gave him a nod to indicate he was alright and Harry made a pass around the pitch again.

Moving lower, circling in front of the stands, his eyes were searching for a glint of gold when he heard a voice that stopped him midair. Whipping his head around, he saw Lucius Malfoy sitting directly behind Hermione. Her face was white as the blond man appeared to be whispering in her ear.

Lucius looked up and saw Harry hovering there. He sat up, a malicious grin on his aristocratic countenance.

Harry wanted to speed over and kill the man who had killed Martin Granger. Instead, he fixed the man with a teeth-baring, feral snarl and rose back into the air. Through the link he yelled, _'Malfoy is in the stands, right behind Hermione. She's terrified, get someone over there!'_

There was no answer, but Harry saw the sudden movement of McGonagall as she climbed up into the stands to squeeze in beside Hermione. Hagrid made his lumbering way up to stand over Malfoy.

Even from high in the air Harry could hear his loud voice. "Here, Gov'ner Malfoy, no need to sit in the Gryffindor seats. I found ye a seat with the Slytherins. Come along."

He took Malfoy by the upper arm with a huge hand and hauled him up. Malfoy could not shake him off until Hagrid had him well on his way into the sea of green that was the Slytherin stands.

Harry could see the livid expression on Malfoy's face from where he was. He knew that parents often came to Quidditch games, but he had a certain feeling that Malfoy was not here just to see his son play.

Draco passed him as they circled. Noticing Harry's grim face, he turned around. "Getting frustrated, Potter?"

"No such luck for you, Malfoy. But you better be on your guard; your dad is in the stands." He took off down the pitch, leaving Draco open-mouthed.

Harry intensified his search, wanting the game over, wanting to confront the senior Malfoy. His eyes were blazing and he felt the fury rising within him. But it felt less uncontrolled now. He felt sure that he could focus and his focus would be Malfoy.

In the midst of his search, Gryffindor scored twice more, Slytherin three times. The game had lost all appeal for Harry. The twins shouted out to him, "Let us get at least two goals ahead before you catch the snitch!" "The extra points in the win could make the difference at the end of the year!"

For a few moments, Harry's mind returned to the game. Ron successfully prevented another Slytherin score and Harry was giving him a thumbs up when a bludger whistled so close to his ear that he felt it graze him. A look at the Slytherin showed him they were grinning wickedly, and aiming to put him out of the game. The Gryffindor chaser had the quaffle and was racing towards a goal. The beaters from Slytherin had turned and were right behind her. One edged up and next to her, forcing her to turn to angle away from a direct approach to the hoops.

Harry swooped after them, and the speed of his broom quickly put him right on top of them. Dropping out of the sky, he took them by surprise and they split away from the chaser, giving her a clear way to the goal. The game was now tied.

Harry could hear the wild cheering from the stands. Thankfully, Luna was drowned out by it all.

As he searched for the elusive snitch, he caught sight of Draco. The blond looked as grim as Harry felt and Harry flew past him to get a better look. He knew the older Malfoy was watching, so he made it look as if he was sneering. Hovering next to him, he asked, "You alright?"

Draco hardly needed a reason to be sneering. "What do you think, Potter? My dear father isn't here to see me win. He's here to take me away on some pretext. He did it a lot last year; he'd take me home for a weekend, spend some quality time with 'friends', make lifelong connections with the correct sort of people. This time, it'll be to make connections alright, but it won't be the sort it was before." He glared at Harry.

"Just say you don't want to go."

"He's not the sort to accept that response."

The bludger passed between them, rocking them back on their brooms. Harry glared back at Draco; to the observers below, they looked to be in a heated discussion. "Do you want to go with him?"

"No!"

"Then you won't. Hurry up and find the damn snitch. I'm ready for this to be over." His eyes blazed with a fierceness that Draco had seen in the dungeons. He gave a curt nod and they both took off in opposite directions around the pitch.

Gryffindor had scored again while they had been talking. Harry no longer cared how many points his team wanted to be ahead. If he saw the snitch, he was going for it. If Draco got it, well, he could live with that too.

The sun caught a glint at the far end of the pitch. Finally, Harry had the snitch sighted. It was flitting behind the goal posts. He took off, streaking down towards the hoops. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Draco doing the same. The snitch remained behind the hoops. The only way to get to it was to go over or around the hoops.

Harry put on a burst of speed and veered upwards; planning to make a sharp dive once he was over the goals. Beside him, Draco stayed steady, going straight for the center hoop. Belatedly, Harry realized that Draco was intending to go straight through it. He flattened himself into the dive as soon as he cleared the center hoop, but Draco had also flattened himself over his broom. It was a very tight squeeze at such a high speed, but his aim through the hoop was true, and he reached forward and grabbed the fluttering golden sphere mere seconds before Harry reached for it.

The stands erupted, students, teachers and visitors on their feet with thunderous applause and yells. Gryffindor had been one goal ahead, but Slytherin won when Draco beat Harry to the snitch.

Harry ignored the calls from his teammates and flew down to the ground where Draco was being surrounded by cheering Slytherins. Lucius Malfoy had come out of the stands and now stood at the edge of the group, looking on with a pleased expression. Draco was being carried on the shoulders of the beaters as he held the snitch clutched in a fist.

Harry stood there, not at all sure of what he would do, but sure that he would do something. It seemed the whole lot of them realized at once that Harry was there; the talking and cheering ceased as one as they stared at him. Draco was set on the ground in front of him.

The team captain for Slytherin strode forward. "You're on the wrong side of the field, Potter. Your mates are crying over there."

With green eyes fixed on Draco's grey ones, Harry responded quietly, "No, I'm on the right side." The glint in Draco's eye told him that he had caught Harry's meaning. Harry put out a hand to Draco. "Good game, Malfoy. Nice move there at the last."

Draco stared down at the extended hand for a moment. Lucius Malfoy stepped forward, edging between the boys. "Well, well, Mr. Potter. It seems you are in attendance at Hogwarts after all and not a ghost as rumours had it; at least when it's time for fun and games."

Harry glared up at the man, a buzzing starting to grow in his head at the man's steely sneer. Draco reached out and around Lucius, and took Harry's hand, giving it a shake. Only Harry noted the fierceness of the grip, the hidden expression in the grey eyes, like a man drowning.

"Your congratulations are accepted, Potter. Good of you to recognize the winning team."

Harry was still glaring at the elder Malfoy when he felt another presence behind him. Hard fingers gripped his shoulder and he immediately knew it was Snape. The buzzing retreated, along with the heat that had been building without Harry realizing it.

"Mr. Potter, you have made your sportsmanship clear. I believe the rest of Gryffindor is waiting for you. Slytherin has their own celebratory reception waiting, if you don't mind."

Harry knew Snape wanted him away from Lucius, away from the Slytherins. He reluctantly pulled his fixed glare away from the blond man and looked up into the coal black of Snape's eyes. The message was clear: _'This is not the time or place. Do not be stupid.'_

Harry gave Draco one last look. To everyone else it was just a grim expression of the loss he had just suffered. But Draco saw the promise of support. Harry made sure of that. He made one last comment, "Don't get too confident, Malfoy. Battles were lost when the apparent victors underestimated their enemies."

Draco searched the green eyes. "I never underestimate my enemies, Potter, you can count on that."

Harry stepped back as the Slytherins resumed their boisterous cheers and surged towards the castle. Snape's hand left his shoulder and he felt more alone than he remembered feeling in his isolation. Through the link he whispered, _'Be careful … Malfoy has some plan … I can't see it clearly. Draco thinks he'll try to take him home, like he has before, only this time …'_

'_He will not leave here with Draco. I want you to stay in Gryffindor. Do not try to get to the dungeons while he is here. Understood?'_

'_Yeah, I get it. I won't be stupid and try any Gryffindor bravery, even if he has been threatening just about everyone I care about and he murdered Mr. Granger.'_

'_I mean it, Harry. Do not try to confront Malfoy. I felt that you wanted to as soon as you saw him. You are not to attempt it.'_

'_Yes, sir.'_

Harry turned towards the Gryffindors and his subdued teammates.

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"I'm really sorry, guys," Harry said, as soon as he walked up to them.

The twins threw arms around Harry and Ron stepped up in front of him.

Ron stated firmly, "You gave it your all. It was a very close game and you only missed it by millimeters!"

The others agreed with his assessment and they all began their walk to the changing rooms. Harry saw Hermione standing to the side and he went over to her. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he asked, "What was he saying to you?"

Her eyes grew wide and she looked away. "Nothing really. He barely said anything before Professor McGonagall and Hagrid came."

Harry looked at her and then at Ron. "He was saying something that scared you, Hermione. If you don't want to tell me, at least tell Ron. Don't keep it to yourself, okay?"

She started to protest, but Ron put an arm around her shoulders and led her away. Harry heard him saying, "Tell me, 'Mione …"

Harry went to shower before changing. He remembered the last time he had been in this shower, when Draco was waiting for him. Now, his team was talking quietly, but he could still hear someone saying maybe he hadn't been ready after all, followed by someone else saying don't be stupid, Harry almost had it … he closed his mind to them and let the sound of the water drown everything else out. He had been trying his best, but he had let himself get distracted at the last. If he hadn't been so fixated on Lucius Malfoy, he would have gotten the snitch sooner. Leaning his head against the tile, he waited until everyone had left before leaving the shower to dress.

With his broom over his shoulder, he made his solitary way to the castle. Just before he entered, a brown school owl swooped down, startling him as it landed on his shoulder.

Harry reached up and untied the note, puzzled about the timing of it and wondering who sent it.

Harry,

Need to talk. Astronomy tower. Wait for me if I'm not there.

D.M.

Harry reread the note. Draco might have made his decision and needed help. Frowning, Harry thought about calling to Snape. Was he still with the Slytherins?

Then he decided not to. Snape had said not to try to go to the dungeons, but he hadn't said anything about not going anywhere else. He would go to Gryffindor and tell Ron where he was going. Then he could say he had gone to Gryffindor as Snape had told him to. The man certainly wouldn't expect him to ignore Draco at this critical moment …

_**A/N:** I extend my deepest appreciation and request a special treat from the house elves in honor of **AllyKat1234**, who graciously allowed me to take some great ideas from her fic, "And Then There Were Twelve". I hope that it helped my Quidditch scene work a little better than it would have without her help! _

_Don't forget to join the group! The first poll is up!_

_Thank you for the delicious reviews! I love you all!_


	23. Chapter 23

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 23

Fred and George had provided food from the kitchens; the house elves more than willing to give them whatever they wanted, whether it was for a celebration, or to help Gryffindor ease the pain of loss. Harry went through the portrait hole and saw everyone quietly drinking Butterbeer and nibbling from a tray of cakes. All eyes were on him and he stared back silently. A few of the team members attempted smiles to try and let him know they weren't angry.

Harry found Ron and made a motion with his head to get him to come up to the dormitory. Ron got up from where he was sitting with Hermione and followed Harry.

Once inside the room, Harry asked, "What did she say? What was that git saying to her?"

Ron looked away for a moment. Then he said quietly, "Malfoy was telling her that you knew how her parents died, that you could have kept it from happening. I think that's all he said before Hagrid got him away."

"How is she about it?"

"She thinks he was just trying to get to her. Although she figures he might have had something to do with it himself … I didn't tell her about your dream, Harry."

Harry nodded his thanks. Putting his broom onto his bed, he asked, "And the team? Are they really okay with how the game went?"

Ron shrugged. "They say they are. They know you did your best …"

"But I wasn't after Malfoy showed up. I was thinking about him and how much I wanted to get him. If I had been paying attention, I would've got the snitch before Draco."

"You just about did, mate. Don't beat yourself up over it."

Harry gave his friend a small smile of thanks. "Draco sent me a note. I have to go up to the Astronomy Tower to meet him."

"Not without me, you're not."

Harry shook his head, "No. He just needs to talk. He's probably a little freaked about his father showing up."

Ron gaped, "Why? It's his father you're talking about. Like father like son. Dear dad is probably very proud right now."

"Ron, Draco has been as much a prisoner of his father as I was with the Dursleys. He's only ever been taught prejudice and hatred for anyone who is not pureblood or rich. He's trying to change that."

Ron heaved an exasperated sigh and sat down on the bed. "I wish I could understand why you're trying to help him change. A leopard can't change its spots, and he's as dangerous as any leopard, that's for sure."

Harry stared at him for a few moments. Then with a big sigh himself, he said, "Fine. I'm not going to try anymore to change the way you feel. Just remember, he's a friend of mine, too."

Ron looked like he really wanted to argue that. Finally, he settled for saying, "I still don't think it's a good idea for you to go alone. You should ask Snape what he thinks, first."

Harry shot him a smirk. "So you _do_ trust Snape's judgment now?"

Ron scowled. "Oh shut it, Harry."

Harry ran a hand through his hair. "If I'm not back in an hour, then you can go to Snape yourself. I'll be back by then and you won't have to."

Ron watched as Harry left the room. He didn't like this at all. But he liked the idea of going to Snape even less. He tried to think of a way to stop Harry without telling a professor. Short of tackling him or hexing him, he just couldn't see an answer. Maybe Hermione would have an idea.

He went back to the Gryffindor gathering in the common room. Hermione still sat staring into the fire of the fireplace, with an almost full bottle of Butterbeer. He sat down beside her and draped an arm around her shoulders.

"Where's Harry? He doesn't feel guilty, does he?"

"Of course he feels guilty. But right now he's going to meet Draco on the Astronomy Tower."

Hermione turned to him in alarm. "What? Now?"

Ron shook his head. "I feel the same way, 'Mione. But he's determined to be his friend."

Hermione jumped up off the sofa. "Come on! We have to get Professor Snape!"

"You'll get Harry in trouble. He didn't seem to want Snape to know."

"Of course he didn't! Snape probably told him to stay here!" She was headed out the portrait hole, Ron scrambling to keep up.

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The Slytherin team rallied around Draco, apparently willing to forget recent differences. For now, he was a hero.

In the common room, a lavish buffet was set out, courtesy of Lucius Malfoy. The man stood at the side of the room, looking over the group while sipping at a flute of champagne. Snape came up to stand beside him.

"Let there be no misunderstanding, Lucius," Snape began quietly. "Your plans, whatever they are, will not succeed."

Lucius gave him a look of mock surprise. "I don't know what you are talking about, Severus. You speak as if I have some nefarious agenda, when I have only ever had the best interests of the students at heart. I am cut to the quick that you have taken the investigation personally. If your sons well-being was at stake, you'd have demanded an inquiry as well."

Snape narrowed his eyes at Lucius. "_All_ of the students are my concern."

"Ah. So it's true that your sole concern is not only your own house?"

"The four houses of Hogwarts must function as a whole, as well as with interhouse competition."

Lucius looked out over the crowd of noisy students, and then back at Snape, staring at the scar revealed by the pulled-back hair. He lifted the snake-headed cane and indicated the scar and white streak of hair at its beginning point. "A striking addition to your features, if I may be so bold to mention. It brands you rather publicly, does it not? It can't be hidden away so readily."

"It is a reminder to those contemplating a life-changing decision. To be so marked is evidence of tyranny and oppression."

Lucius narrowed his own eyes, his jaw tightening at the slight to his Lord. In a more subdued voice, he changed the subject. "I'll just speak to my son now."

As he moved away, Snape tensed. 'Do you have plans for him this weekend?"

"Are you asking if I am taking him home to celebrate as usual when they win? No; as much as his mother would love to smother him with affection, I have another engagement to attend to. Perhaps next time. I'll just be saying a quick farewell right now." He turned away and went to where Draco stood with a small group.

Snape watched closely as the father drew the son away to speak privately with him. After a few moments, Snape noted that Draco's posture relaxed and he seemed less stiff as he stood in front of Lucius.

With a last smirk at Snape over Draco's head, Lucius swept away out the common room door. Draco stood there for a moment, staring after him. Then he turned and gave Snape a calm nod. Snape nodded in return and resumed his watch over the celebration.

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Ron ran into the back of Hermione when she halted in the corridor. She was looking down the stairs and then towards McGonagall's office. Making a decision, she ran to McGonagall's door and knocked loudly. Ron was about to ask her what the hurry was when the professor opened her door.

"What in the world –"

"Professor, you have to get Professor Snape right away! Harry has gone to meet Draco in the Astronomy Tower. I believe it's a trap!"

McGonagall's lips tightened into a thin line as she searched Hermione's panicked face. "Did Mr. Malfoy senior say something to you to make you believe this?"

"Yes! Hurry, please!"

McGonagall waved her wand and muttered a quiet incantation. A small silver bird shot out of the end of the wand and disappeared through the floor. She began walking rapidly towards the Astronomy Tower. "Tell me what he said."

After Hermione told her, she stopped and held out a hand to them both. "Wait here for Professor Snape. Let him know what you told me. He should be here quickly." She darted away at a surprising speed for a woman of her age.

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Snape was standing there at the wall, waiting for an appropriate time to call a halt to the festivities when the silver bird dropped out of the ceiling and onto his shoulder. He recognized it as McGonagall's personal messenger and opened it quickly.

_**Astronomy Tower - Harry meeting Draco - Now'**_

Snape raised his eyes to quickly scan the common room for Draco. He was gone. He set out at a run out of the dungeons. Trying the link, he got no answer, but he could sense that Harry was occluding. _'You are in such trouble, you foolish Gryffindor …'_

Nearing the tower, he saw Ron and Hermione. Hermione was jumping up and down in her agitation, Ron trying to hang onto her. "Professor McGonagall said to tell you she was already on her way," said Ron quickly.

"Hurry, Professor! It's a trap! Mr. Malfoy said –" she suddenly stopped, biting her bottom lip.

"Well, out with it Granger!"

"He said something about the most dangerous enemy being the one you believe to be asleep." Her fear, and hope, that he would call it a foolish interpretation to believe that there was a threat was met with a loud curse from the man in front of them. Without another word, he was off at a run again.

He caught up with McGonagall and she stepped aside for him to pass her.

The doorway out to the battlements was locked. A bellowed hex blew it off its hinges. Outside, one startled face and one passive face turned towards the noise.

Draco turned back to Harry, holding out a hand. "Please take it Harry – as a peace offering."

Harry turned his surprised face from Snape back to Draco. "You don't need to give me anything. You caught the snitch fair and square."

"Just take it –"

Snape could not see what it was Draco was holding, but now Harry began to step towards Draco, hand extended.

"No!" shouted Snape. "Don't touch it!"

Harry hesitated, but now Draco, his expression still eerily calm, moved towards Harry.

Snape drew his wand, but hesitated, afraid that hitting Draco might knock him into Harry. At a full-out run, he made a flying leap and tackled Draco to the ground.

McGonagall rushed forward, and touching her wand to Draco, shouted, "Petrificus Totalis!"

As Draco stiffened an object fell out of his hand and rolled across the stones. Harry bent down to catch it. Snape rolled off of Draco and reached out, snatching it up.

In a flash, he was gone.

Harry gaped at the ground where Snape had been, where Draco lay in a stiffened state. When he shifted his look to McGonagall, she had one word.

"Portkey."

Ron and Hermione followed Dumbledore out onto the battlement. He took in the scene before asking McGonagall, "Severus?"

"It seems Mr. Malfoy had a portkey. He was attempting to give it to Harry when we arrived. Severus grabbed it to keep Harry from touching it."

Harry was looking confused, "Why would he want to give me a portkey? Where did it take Severus?"

Dumbledore frowned over his spectacles. "If I am correct … Minerva, reverse your spell on Draco."

She murmured, "Finite."

Draco stirred, sitting up and blinking in bewilderment. He looked up at all the faces around him.

Dumbledore asked sternly, "Mr Malfoy, you were in possession of an illegal portkey. What do you have to say about that?"

Draco paled. "Portkey?

Dumbledore waited while Draco regained his senses from being petrified. They could see that he was thinking, struggling to remember what had happened.

Suddenly, he sprang to his feet, "Oh Merlin! He wants Harry! Where's Harry?"

Ron was in his face instantly. "You'll have to go through me to get him, Malfoy. I knew this wasn't a good idea for Harry to come up here."

Dumbledore laid a hand on Ron's arm. "Let Draco speak, Mr. Weasley."

Draco finally saw Harry and there was no mistaking the relief on his face. "You didn't take it … I'm sorry Harry. My father used the Imperius on me. I tried to resist it, but …" He turned away, his face in his hands.

Harry walked up to him and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Where did it take Severus? Where was it going to take me?"

"Severus took it?" Draco staggered and sat back down on the ground. "Oh, no."

"Where?!" Harry bellowed.

"Malfoy Manor."

Harry let him go and went to the edge of the wall that overlooked the grounds. In the afternoon sunlight, the autumn colors were so vibrant they almost hurt the eyes.

'_Severus! Can you hear me?!_' He waited, straining to hear any response. Very faintly, a brief flicker of Snape's energy came to him and then it faded away.

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_**A/N**__: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! Over 200 now! I am overwhelmed by you taking the time to encourage me with your kind words. _

_Thank you __**logicalquirk**__, my gracious beta! _

_Thank you __**KimInSpirit**__, my co-mod for the __**FirstProphecy Yahoo group**__, and the one who lets me bounce ideas into her court to see if they have merit!_

_Disclaimer time: I don't own, but wish I did. Like my dad always said, 'If wishes had wings, pigs could fly', or something like that. Anyway one doesn't and the other can't. JKR is the gal whose world this is. I am just a meddling guest._


	24. Chapter 24

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy)**

Chapter 24

Snape felt the pull of the portkey as soon as his hand touched it. No words had been necessary. It had been spelled to react as soon as any hand other than Draco's touched it.

His wand was still in his other hand and he was on his feet as soon as the portkey set him down. Before he could see where he was, he felt the wand extracted from his grasp, magical chains securing his wrists behind him.

"Not the fish I had hoped to catch, but I suppose we will make do." The icy voice of Lucius Malfoy echoed in the cavernous room in which Snape found himself.

Now scanning his location, Snape recognized the dungeons of Malfoy Manor. A number of Death Eater revels had taken place here, safe underground, behind vast wards to prevent any detection.

Snape turned to face Malfoy, his expression closed. His eyes widened only a fraction at seeing who stood beside Malfoy. A frowning Vernon Dursley leaned towards Malfoy, fists clenched and lips quivering under the bushy mustache.

"You said that freaky boy would come. You said you'd give him to me."

Malfoy rolled his eyes with a smirk in Snape's direction. He touched Dursley with the head of his cane, clearly unwilling to touch him personally. "Patience, Dursley. This is only a slight delay in getting your prize. I do have an alternative plan in mind, foreseeing that something like this might happen." He turned to Snape, "So you _are_ sympathetic to the Boy Who Lived … my suspicions _were_ correct."

"No," Snape replied firmly. "I merely confiscated an illegal portkey from your son. The error I made was touching it without a barrier."

Malfoy sneered again. "I doubt that. You do not make such mistakes. No matter. We will have what we wanted."

Dursley snarled, "I want him now."

Malfoy soothed, "But you have _him_, right now," indicating Snape. "You gave me to understand that he caused you a great deal of trouble. Would you not like to exact some revenge upon him?"

Dursley's eyes widened, as if this were a new idea. Snape saw the possibilities it brought blossom in the fat man's expression.

Malfoy waved the cane and Snape was thrust back against a stone wall, the cuffs on his wrists joined by ones securing his ankles and fastened to the wall.

Malfoy waved Dursley towards him. "Have fun, my pet, but do not kill him. I have a use for him yet." With that, he swept out of the dungeons, leaving Snape with the now grinning Dursley. The man was rubbing his fat hands together as he contemplated the prisoner, seeming not to realize that he had been equated with a form lower than human when Malfoy had called him a pet.

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"How do we get him back?" Harry stood in front of Dumbledore now, green eyes beseeching the blue ones behind spectacles.

Dumbledore shook his head. "I am not certain that we can, even if we know where he is."

"Just go and get him!" Traces of the little boy from the summer surfaced in the intent expression, the voice of panic.

Dumbledore put a calming hand on Harry's shoulder. Draco hesitantly walked over to them. "The manor's wards are virtually impassable. My father has spent unspeakable amounts of gold having goblins secure the entire grounds."

Harry looked around at them all. "So what do we do? We can't leave him there … Malfoy might …"

Ron was there in a moment, his arms around his best friend. No matter that he didn't think he'd ever get past Harry's attachment to the black bat, he knew this was bad for him. Hermione joined them, putting her arms around them both. Harry gripped Ron in a shaking embrace, his fears growing with each passing minute.

"I can't hear him. I'm calling and he doesn't answer!"

Dumbledore said quietly, "The immense wards Draco speaks of most likely prevent your link from working." He looked at Ron over Harry's head. "Take him back to the infirmary. Stay with him there. Professor McGonagall and I will try to find a solution."

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At first, Dursley settled for simply smashing Snape with his fists. Snape knew that Harry had felt this and worse, so he remained silent as the whale of a man beat him about the face and body. He felt trickles of blood from his broken nose and mouth. When Dursley stopped for a moment to rub his hands, Snape spat a clot of blood at the man. It hit him in the shoulder, enraging him. When Malfoy stepped back in, he found the man punching Snape as if he were a practice dummy for boxing. Snape hung forward as far as the shackles allowed, unconscious. Malfoy stunned the Muggle to get his attention.

After setting up a small table and chair for himself, he enervated both of them. Snape came to with groans that he was powerless to stop. Dursley snorted awake like a great pig, struggling to regain his feet.

Malfoy sat calmly, waiting. When both men were glaring at him, he said, he smiled. "That's better. I told you _not_ to kill him, Dursley. Perhaps you need a small taste of what your freaky nephew could have done to you if he wasn't a coward." He pointed his cane with a _cruciatus_ at Dursley, sending him back to the ground shrieking.

Malfoy looked at Snape, "Don't worry, it was a very mild one."

Snape had leaned back against the wall, controlling his breathing, avoiding causing himself more discomfort from the bones that had shattered in his ribs. "I would never … worry … on his account. I hope you'll kill him when we're done here."

"He serves a purpose for the time being." He picked up a small vial from the table. "Do you recognize your handiwork, Severus?"

The vial was one that contained Veritaserum; a strong concoction that Snape had brewed to Voldemort's specifications. Snape stilled. "The Dark Lord will not be happy that you so freely make use of his property."

"I will tell him I merely wished to ensure your loyalty. He may curse me, but the reward will be worth the pain in the end." He pointed his cane at Dursley as he lay whimpering. "Get up, pet. You will assist me." Dursley was lifted up and plopped onto his feet, as the cane directed.

Shuffling over to Malfoy, Dursley eyed Snape with anger, as if the cruciatus had been from him.

Malfoy said, "Hold his mouth open while I pour the Veritaserum onto his tongue."

Dursley backed up. "The bastard will bite my hand off if I get that close."

"Not if you do it correctly and are careful. Now obey me, or I will give you worse than a moment ago."

Dursley approached Snape warily, and attempted to grab him by the chin. He narrowly missed the teeth that snapped at his fingers. Glancing at Malfoy did nothing except earn him a threatening shake of the cane.

Snape shook his head out of Dursleys grasp several times before he got a fist full of hair in both hands. Dursley slammed Snape's head against the wall and was then able hold his mouth open for Malfoy.

Malfoy motioned Dursley away and then sat down to wait for the Veritaserum to work.

Snape fought the effects of being knocked nearly senseless and the Veritaserum. He could feel his will being subdued and when Malfoy began asking questions, he would be defenseless. Concentrating hard, he pushed all his knowledge and feeling for Harry deep down; as deep into himself as he could. If pure will, and the power of a prophecy, had any influence, he just might be able to protect the boy …

Malfoy crossed an elegant leg and smiled. "Now, Severus, let's have a chat, shall we? I want to know all that you know about Mr. Harry Potter."

Dursley licked his lips in anticipation as Snape broke out in a sweat.

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Harry was walking in a restless circle; his bed to the window, from the window to the hearth, from the hearth to the door of Pomfrey's office, from there to the door leading out of the infirmary, and then back to his bed. His robes had been discarded as he grew too warm from the endless walking.

Ron and Hermione sat on the edge of his bed, watching him. They had tried to talk to him, but he was beyond listening, beyond feeling anything except the emptiness from the link as he kept sending out his call to Snape.

Madame Pomfrey had insisted that he take a calming potion, but it had not worked as well as she had hoped. Harry would look at her sitting at her desk each time he walked to her door. She would patiently shake her head at him, assuring him that she had no new information since the last time he had looked in.

When Dumbledore walked in the door, Harry hurried to him. Before Harry could ask, he shook his head. "I have no news, Harry. I'm sorry. I came to see how you were; if you had got any rest."

The three behind him shook their heads when Harry didn't answer.

Harry whispered, "I want to go back to my room. I need to be there."

Dumbledore nodded, but said firmly, "The ghosts will be keeping watch, and I insist on Dobby knowing where you are. Call him to you now, so he can follow you."

"You're afraid I'll leave, aren't you?"

"The thought that you might feel compelled to do something has occurred to me. I cannot allow you to put yourself at risk. You know Severus would not want that either."

Harry walked slowly to the window, looking out in despair. "It's so hard to sit and do nothing! If I could get there, I could get him out! I know I could!"

He walked quickly to the fireplace and scooped up a handful of Floo Powder. Before he could throw it down, Dumbledore gently took hold of his hand. He held out the box of Floo Powder and waited until Harry had returned his handful.

Harry's face was twisting in that peculiar way that indicated he was trying not to cry in front of everyone. He really, really wanted to be out of here, away from all the eyes that were boring into him. He imagined that they were waiting for him to break down. The fact that he felt exactly as if he were about to break down made him more anxious to be back in his room.

He called to Dobby, not bothering to speak aloud. Dobby appeared with a pop, ears wilted and eyes brimming. Dumbledore had obviously already told the elf about Snape and had given him his assignment to help keep watch over Harry.

Without a word, Harry walked out of the infirmary, Dobby close behind him.

Once in his room, Harry went straight to the settee and took Prongs up into an embrace, burying his face in the soft fuzz.

'_Severus … be strong … come back …' _and the tears he had been holding back began to flow unchecked.

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Dumbledore had sent the other two Gryffindors back to their own rooms. He returned to his office where McGonagall sat with Draco.

As Dumbledore entered, dull grey eyes were lifted to search his face. Seeing that nothing had changed, he bent his head back down, running hands through his hair.

"Harry hates me again, doesn't he?"

"He is not thinking of anyone except Severus right now."

McGonagall looked worried. "He hasn't regressed, has he?"

"He is near to it. We must try to keep him from it. I have allowed him to go back to his rooms, as he seemed to need to be away from people again. We need someone whom he will trust, not just Dobby or a ghost. He needs someone who will meet his needs while this is happening."

"Who? Severus is the only one he truly confided in and opened up to," McGonagall said in despair.

Dumbledore looked at Draco as he sat there watching the exchange. He knew the boy was blaming himself, and that he would suffer from the loss of Severus, too, if anything happened to the man.

With a deep sigh, he looked at McGonagall again. "I believe it is time to bring Remus home. Both boys will need an adult who can devote their whole time to them."

"But, you have never told him about all that's happened to Harry. He will be most upset to learn what has been kept from him."

"He will have to understand that he did not need the distraction from his mission and that Severus was handling Harry well enough. I am not sure Harry yet remembers Remus, as he has not asked about him or even mentioned him."

Draco frowned. "Why would he forget Professor Lupin? Wasn't he close friends with Harry's parents, and didn't he teach Harry how to do the Patronus?" He recalled being knocked out from the Patronus that Harry cast when he, Crabbe, and Goyle pretended to be a Dementor.

Dumbledore gave Draco a long, considering stare. "You will forgive me if I do not as yet have total confidence in you?"

Draco nodded reluctantly. "I suppose you have to be sure that I'm not still under my father's influence. Can you tell if I am?"

"It is difficult, as it involves delving deeply into your subconscious. It is not safe to perform on a child unless as a last resort."

Draco gave an annoyed look at being called a child. Professor Dumbledore smiled at him. "It is time for you to return to Slytherin. We will have an excuse for Professor Snape's absence by tomorrow. I would ask that you simply accept it and do not offer any additional information to your housemates."

Draco nodded. He was reluctant to leave without knowing how Severus was, but there was nothing to do for it. Drawing himself up tall, he mentally prepared himself to face his house and any questions. They would have had time now to cool down from the Quidditch victory. He was smart enough to realize that that one thing was not enough to win the confidence of the ones sympathetic to the dark. He would have to continue to play the game, maneuvering where he could. He gave a small shiver, wondering if his father would alert other Death Eaters to write cautions to their children concerning him. He would have to watch his own back, as well as the ones of the Gryffindors who did not yet know he had officially thrown his lot in with them.

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Malfoy watched the Potions Master closely. The man was more resistant to his questioning than he had expected. In spite of Dursley's continued abuse, Snape did little more than confirm what Malfoy already knew.

Potter had been rescued from the Muggles by Snape. Snape had been keeping close watch over the Boy Who Lived. Snape had been encouraging Malfoy's son to make his own decisions regarding his life. That, more than even the information about Potter, made Malfoy furious.

He had been grooming his son since birth to grow up to join him in the power he was certain would be his. He had intended that Draco be the youngest Death Eater in the Dark Lord's Inner Circle.

"Well, Severus … you do disappoint me with your lack of information. You are still too valuable to kill, and yet letting you go is not an option …" Malfoy crossed his legs elegantly, resting a chin in his hand. "What shall we do with you …"

Dursley had been hanging back, watching the questioning, rubbing his reddened knuckles and waiting until it was again his turn. "Give him to me, since he can't, or won't give me the boy."

Malfoy chuckled. "You are so amusing, Dursley. Patience." Malfoy tapped his chin with a finger. "I believe I know what might be done. It should be entertaining, even if it does not yield the desired results."

Standing, he walked closer to the slumped and battered man in chains. "I can't have you returning like this." With a few passes of his cane, he healed most of the wounds and cleaned Snape's clothing. As the injuries healed, Snape moaned and pulled himself upright.

He glared at Malfoy. "Your hospitality leaves much to be desired."

"It's no matter, my dear friend; you won't remember it being anything other than a social evening celebrating the Slytherin win."

He raised his cane again, pointing it at Snape.

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_**A/N**__: Another huge thank you to my beta __**logicalquirk**__, and story mentor __**KimInSpirit**__, as well as everyone who voted in the First Prophecy poll regarding Remus' return._

_Thank you for the nice reviews, too. Kim thinks I leave you with cliffies on purpose…I'm not evil, I swear! I just get to a certain point and the Muse needs to mull over the possibilities before moving on!_

_The most interesting reader, akuma-river, left me a very detailed set of questions regarding the story in her recent review…I sent her a reply, but I'll also try to address her issues in the First Prophecy Yahoo Group (join join join). Her questions were about some things I have been worrying about too, so it wasn't a bad thing for her to point them out. But now I feel compelled to 'fix it', or at least try to justify them to you, the readers!_

_The __**First Prophecy Group at yahoo groups**__ is waiting for you! Kim and I bring refreshments and we really want your involvement. Email me, or let me know in your review if you want to join and Kim will work her magic to get it done!_

_Vote in the new poll, quick, 'cause I'm writing Ch. 28 right now and it's getting close to the time I will need the info to make a decision!!_


	25. Chapter 25

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy)**

Chapter 25

At first, Harry tried to pull himself together enough to get some work done. Failing that, he opened the stained glass window, pulling the chair up to it. Over and over he sent out his call to Severus. Over and over there was no answer. Prongs was clutched in tense fingers as if it were a talisman.

Dobby sat on the floor at his feet, eyes sad but watchful. He heard the calls go on and on, his elf heart breaking at the emptiness that he did not know how to fill.

The ghosts hovered, taking turns being there and making their self-appointed rounds of the castle.

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Draco returned to the Slytherin common room, quickly bypassing the students sitting around a mostly finished buffet. He was almost to the stairs leading to the dormitories when Pansy's voice stopped him.

"Your father didn't seem too angry with you … perhaps you haven't been as bad as we thought."

"If that's an apology for your back-stabbing, you need more lessons in common manners, Parkinson." He continued, but hesitated after going a few more steps. "And as for bad? You have no idea how bad I can be if you continue to slander me around this house."

Pansy stood open-mouthed at being told off, while there were many snickers around the room.

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Dumbledore stood staring into the fire, McGonagall behind him. Both had worried expressions.

"Albus, if Severus has been killed, Harry will need Remus. If he hasn't, then perhaps it will still be good for Harry to have him here. Remus was always the steadiest adult for him, not too flighty, or smothering. Even with Severus here, Remus could be helpful in having someone to oversee Harry's training."

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, that is a consideration. Training Harry, and attending to his class load has been a lot for Severus." He looked at McGonagall. "The Board of Governors won't like having a dark creature here again. It will have to be just for Harry. Perhaps Harry will be willing for him to occupy rooms close to his."

He stood there, contemplating the flames. "I cannot bear to think of losing Severus myself, Minerva. How will I be able to help young Harry through it?"

McGonagall laid a hand on his arm, trying not to display her concern over this rare moment of weakness from the Headmaster. "That's why we need Remus. He has no such ties to Severus. He can be there for Harry without letting anything else get in the way. For all that he has been through, he has never been one to be unfair or insensitive. No matter his own feelings regarding Severus, he'll help Harry deal with his."

Dumbledore nodded sadly. Kneeling in front of the fireplace, he threw in a handful of Floo Powder. Watching as the flames turned green, he called out for Remus Lupin.

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Draco lay brooding on his bed, curtains drawn. His father had been curiously polite, even with the Slytherin win. He had to think that the man had already planned to Imperious him, even if Slytherin had lost. The message he would have been told to deliver to Harry would have simply been different. He shuddered to think what would have happened to him if he had successfully given Harry the portkey. It was bad enough that Severus had been the one to touch it. If Harry had taken it and had been transported to the Malfoy Manor, he would probably be before He Who Must Not Be Named, right now. Maybe he would have already been dead, the hope of the wizarding world lost.

Now, his father had got Severus. Draco didn't know what had transpired between them recently, but it had appeared that they were not on the best of terms. Dumbledore and Harry had seemed certain that Lucius would kill Severus. Had things been that bad?

Now the Headmaster was talking about bringing Remus Lupin home. What did that mean? Where had he been and why would he be so important now?

Would they trust him now, after this portkey fiasco? Had he switched his loyalties only to be shuffled to the very bottom of the ladder for his unwilling service to his father?

Noises from the common room got his attention and he sat up on an elbow, his prefect's ear tipped towards the sound of argument. Eyes widening, he jumped off the bed. Was that Snape he heard?

He ran up the stairs and almost skidded into the room. Snape was standing at the wall where the genealogies had been posted. He turned at Draco's entry and sneered.

"Who's abominable idea was it to post this?"

"Yours, sir." Draco frowned as he looked at him. Snape's face was in hard lines, hair down around his face. He looked like … like he used to … before whatever had happened between him and Harry.

"Don't be ridiculous, Mr. Malfoy. I would never condone this sort of drivel. Remove it at once."

Some first years were beginning to sniffle, scared out of their minds to be on the receiving end of the Snape they had heard of but had yet to see.

Draco straightened himself up and said quietly, "Sir, you assigned us all to research our family pedigrees as a detention of sorts. You ordered us to post them so that we could all see that none of our families were as pure as we wanted to believe."

"I assigned this, you say? I am not some doddering Head of House that you might find in another house. Do not think that you can play some idiotic, dunderheaded prank on me and get by with it. You have ten minutes to get them off these walls." With that, he swept out of the room, black robes snapping around him.

Draco looked around at all those in the room. Many eyes were on him for an answer. Draco could only shrug. "Take them down and roll them up. I have a feeling we'll get back to it."

As his housemates began to remove the pedigrees, Draco stood in thought. That was not Snape; at least not the Snape that had been here this afternoon. He left the Slytherin rooms and headed for the office of the Headmaster.

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Remus Lupin stepped through the green flames and into Dumbledore's office. He glared around the room before his eyes found Dumbledore and softened. "Albus. This must be something important for you to call me out of Portugal. I am very near to winning the loyalties of the highest ranking pack there."

Dumbledore stepped towards the werewolf. Lupin had aged considerably over the last year, his salt and pepper hair more salt now. He had grown a short beard that showed white streaks over either side of his chin. The time spent with pack society had done him the good of putting muscle on him. He was not shabby looking. He was not the mild-mannered man that had left them more than a year ago. For a few moments, Dumbledore had trouble seeing that this was the same man who had been torn by the grief of losing his best friend. This man was hardened by the trials life had dealt, not weakened. There was a resolve and determination in the face that had never been there before.

Smiling benevolently, Dumbledore held out his hand. "Remus … I wish it had not been necessary to call you here. Your mission is of great importance. I know you will have loose ends to attend to, and you shall."

With his fine sense of smelling the feelings of others, Lupin knew that Dumbledore feared telling him whatever it was that he needed to; not the fear of someone who feared for their life, but the fear of causing pain to another. "It's Harry, isn't it? You wouldn't have called me back for anything or anyone else."

"Come; sit down. We have quite a lot to talk about, and it needs to be done quickly. Harry needs you."

Remus started towards the door, "Then I will go to him immediately."

"You can't. I'm afraid that he may not even know you."

That stopped Remus in his tracks, and he could feel hackles rising on his back as a snarl started deep in his throat. "What's happened to him, and why didn't you tell me so I could come back sooner? The boy is like my own young …"

"I know, Remus. It has been a difficult half year. Some moments it seems as if it has been much longer … please, come sit down."

After the first five minutes, Dumbledore ordered tea. After ten, they were both pouring hefty shots of firewhiskey into their cups. Remus looked alternately grieved, horrified and furious at everything Harry had endured since the end of the last school year..

Remus rose from his chair, holding his cup. Running his other hand through his hair, he sighed. "How could so much happen to one kid? How can he be expected to deal with all this?"

"Severus has been quite wonderful in that regard."

A feral growl preceded Remus's biting reply. "You'll forgive me if I find that difficult to believe."

"I thought you might. I have some of the more pertinent memories available for you to see. You need to understand fully what is happening." Dumbledore indicated the pensieve sitting on his desk. "I believe I shall wait here for you. Take your time."

Remus drained his cup, setting it down on the desk. With one more look at Dumbledore, Remus unhesitatingly plunged his face into the silver swirls.

Dumbledore heard the soft tinkling in his head telling him that someone was requesting entrance at the stone gargoyle, but did not know the password. Closing his eyes briefly, he ascertained that the caller was Draco. He started to refuse admission, but something in the bearing of the boy changed his mind. A wave of his hand had the gargoyle grinding open and Draco came up the spiral stairs. Dumbledore opened the door himself before he could knock.

Draco looked up at the headmaster with a frown. "Severus is back."

Dumbledore's eyes immediately grew sharp. "What? When?"

"Just now. He just showed up in the common room and started ranting about the … well he just started ranting. And he doesn't seem like himself."

Blue eyes narrowed then. "How do you mean, Draco?"

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Harry sat at the window, watching the half-moon rising. Dobby had fetched a tray of his favorite foods, and then his favorite desserts. Harry barely looked at either. Only once, when Dobby sniffed, did Harry smooth a hand over the knobby head. _'I'm glad you're here with me Dobby.'_

After that, Dobby knew his purpose was to merely be there for the boy, to be what comfort he could. There was nothing he really had to do.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Dumbledore sent Draco back to Slytherin and firecalled McGonagall. She was as shocked as he had been. What did this mean? Why hadn't Severus come to Dumbledore right away upon his return? Surely he knew that they would have been afraid for him, believing that he had been sent to whatever danger had awaited Harry. They agreed that they would only find out from Severus himself.

Throwing Floo Powder, he called down to the dungeon office. When Snape's head appeared, Dumbledore said mildly, "Severus; I'm glad you returned safely. Did you not think to let me know that you had?"

Black eyes narrowed. "I am not in the habit of reporting anything except that which concerns my … business with our mutual enemy."

"But we have worried about you."

"Why would you do that? I merely visited a friend to celebrate the victory of Slytherin."

Dumbledore looked at McGonagall. Their meaningful expressions were not lost on Snape. "If you have nothing else, I have brewing to do before tomorrow." He was gone in another flare.

McGonagall sat down. "His whole demeanor has changed. He's more like he was last year …"

"As if the last year had not happened," Dumbledore finished.

"Did Malfoy do this to him? Is that even possible?"

"To selectively Obliviate long term memories, you mean? Oh yes, it's possible, but very difficult. One must remove certain memories while simultaneously implanting replacements to maintain a timeline. It is considered dark magic because the victim is usually Imperiused as well."

"What will happen when he sees Harry?"

"That must not happen. This could be worse than if Severus _did_ die; if he rejects Harry –"

At that moment, Harry burst through the door.

"Nick and the Bloody Baron told me Severus is back!" He was searching the room with wild eyes. Not seeing who he was looking for, he backed towards the door, "The hospital then? He must be alright if the two of you are here. He's still not answering me, though. Is he still trying to occlude in case Voldemort hears …"

"Harry, calm down, " McGonagall said gently.

Dumbledore saw no help for it, although he would be speaking to the ghosts regarding their irresponsibility in giving Harry information.

"He is back. But it would be best for you not to see him yet."

"Why? I've seen him at his worst, you know. I can handle it if I can just see him." Then he paled. "I'm not hearing him … you're not letting me see him … he's dead?"

"No! Harry, he's not dead!" Dumbledore assured him rapidly.

Harry was still backing towards the door and Dumbledore waved his hand, securing it.

"You know that won't keep me here. I'm going to find him, see him …" He turned to the door and held out his hands. The door shook on its hinges, but the locking spell held. Harry looked back at Dumbledore, bewildered, "My magic feels weaker, strange … but I still want out. Let me go to him."

"We can't."

From the pensieve, a figure emerged. Harry jumped at the appearance, and even Dumbledore barely held back his surprise, almost forgetting that someone had been in it.

Cautious golden brown eyes grew warm as they saw Harry standing there, but the man made no move toward the boy.

Harry frowned; he felt he should know this person, but the knowledge lay just beyond his grasp. Was he friend or foe, or somewhere in between?

When no one spoke, Harry moved from the door, edging towards the man, drawn by instinct.

As he concentrated, a bubble of long forgotten memory suddenly burst. "Remus?"

Remus opened his arms to the nearest he had ever had to cub. "Harry …"

Harry hesitated, stepping toward him slowly. "Why didn't I remember you before?"

Dumbledore now came to him. "It's been a very eventful day, Harry. It's almost too much for an old wizard like me, let alone you. We have time to sort this out. For now, just know that Remus is here for you, so you _can_ sort through it safely."

Harry looked at them all, struggling to understand the why and how of everything. He faintly heard McGonagall calling Madame Pomfrey through the floo, and felt annoyance at the thought that he would soon be plied with more potion, probably to calm him.

Madame Pomfrey was there in moments and encouraging Harry to drink. Unwilling, but unable to feel anything more than overwhelmed; Harry drank of the vial she held out to him. As the room began to close in around him, Remus was there, warm arms strong around him, folding him into a comforting, musky embrace.

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_**A/N**__: As you can see, the pro Remus camp won the vote! I have always loved Remus, but thought he should be stronger, given his wild side. So, in my AU, he is a stronger man. _

_Thanks again to __**everyone**__ who takes the time to review! In the __**First Prophecy Yahoo Group**__, I opened a discussion based on a review by akuma-river. Everyone is invited to post comments there!_

_Just remember, this is an AU fic and I have taken a lot of liberties with what happened in canon and in this non-canon storyline. If it was a perfect story, my name would be JKR, but I'm not and it's not!_

_Thanks __**logicalquirk **__for her quick turn-around in getting chapters back to me!_

_Thanks __**KimInSpirit**__ for her daily encouragement!_

_Thank you to __**everyone **__who has joined the First Prophecy Yahoo Group! It's quite a diverse group, but with some common ground that I find interesting!_

_**Hugs all around!**_


	26. Chapter 26

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy)**

**Chapter 26**

Something niggled at the back of his mind … Snape searched his surroundings; his office was in order. He got up and walked to the classroom. Nothing appeared out of place to his practiced eye. Returning to the laboratory, he slowly walked the room. His potions were brewing as he wished. Narrowing his eyes, he unlocked his storage cupboard. Rapidly scanning the contents, he could see nothing missing.

What was it that was bothering him? Why was he having such difficulty staying focused? He felt like he was in a space too small and it was getting smaller. No doubt, his current batch of inept students had him on edge, perceiving difficulties that were not actually there. His head had begun to ache sometime yesterday and no amount of the usual pain relieving potions had worked. He rubbed at his temple irritably, a curtain of white streaked black falling around his face.

It was time for his combined Slytherin and Gryffindor sixth years, so he drew himself up and gathered the lesson plans for the class. Perhaps he could manage to entertain himself out of this disquieting mood.

Out in the hallway, the sixth years waited. Draco eyed Hermione and Ron, but couldn't get their attention. Finally, he faked a stumble against Pansy. With a growl, he sneered at her, "Watch it, Parkinson. You know the mood Professor Snape has been in. Better keep it under control."

She looked at him and rolled her eyes, while Ron and Hermione looked at him in surprise. They had assumed that there would be a substitute for the class; that Snape was still missing. Hermione processed his words more quickly than Ron, but the questioning expression she had was squelched as soon as Snape opened the door.

Peering down his nose at the assembled students, the black eyes glittered behind the hanging hair. Standing back against the door, he silently watched them pass into the classroom. Hermione looked up at him as she went by and he frowned until she lowered her head and hurried on.

The assignment appeared on the chalkboard and Snape whirled to the head of the class. "You will work in pairs. You will work silently. You will not cause excessive damage to other students, nor will you cause any damage to my room or its contents. One person at each table is to bring up the essays you were assigned. Begin."

Hermione took her essay up to the front, handed it to Snape, and then handed him another tightly rolled parchment. He narrowed his eyes at her in question.

She answered quietly, "It's Harry's, sir."

Snape surveyed the room over her head. "Is Mr. Potter your partner?"

"No, sir, but you said –"

"Is Mr. Potter present in class?"

"Not today, sir –"

"Then I am not obligated to accept this." He held the second roll out to her but she didn't take it. They stared at each other a long moment before he snapped the roll upright and sneered. In his fingers, the roll burst into flame.

She set her jaw, but managed to turn and go back to her seat. As she walked, she looked at Draco, who stage-whispered to another Slytherin, "Do you still have that _library_ book we borrowed last week?"

The Slytherin bent his head to Draco's. Hermione gave him a tiny nod of understanding.

The class was silent as they worked; the students not anxious to provoke a tightly coiled Snape snake. He paced the aisles, harsh comments for most of the Gryffindors on their work, while not being a lot easier on the Slytherins. That was puzzling to the Gryffindors, too.

After class, Hermione grabbed Ron's arm, yanking him to the door. "Come on. We're going to the library to research."

Ron gave his characteristic scowl. "Can't you do it and let me know? What is it you need to research anyway?"

"Something I'm not clear on, and no, I'm not doing it alone." She marched them past Draco, knowing he had heard her.

At the front of the class, black eyes glittered with suppressed pain, aggravation, and a need to strike.

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Once Harry was asleep, the adults made the decision that it was best that Remus go to his rooms with him. Madame Pomfrey and Dobby accompanied him, leading the way through the warren of corridors until they reached them. Remus laid Harry down on the settee. Pomfrey covered him up with the blanket. Remus looked questioningly at Prongs when the mediwitch placed the toy in Harry's arms.

"I'll explain while we work," she answered.

They set about the business of transforming an additional room across from Harry's for Remus. An uncovered fireplace was reconnected to the floo in the hospital and Dumbledore's office.

As they worked, Remus asked Pomfrey for information to help fill in any areas that the pensieve had not made clear. Once, Remus stiffened, when she unwittingly commented about how fatherly Snape had been to Harry. She noticed the look and stopped her work to gaze at him.

"I know there was no feeling of friendship between your group and Severus back in school. I know that while he has continued to provide your Wolfsbane, there is no love lost between you now. But Harry loves him, like it or not. Get used to the idea before you go saying something to set him against you. He's had a very hard time recently; I'll be wanting to minimize his upset, not increase it with the you and Severus at each others throats."

Remus's eyes flashed for a moment and then his face softened. "I should have been here … and instead I was off pretending my mission to persuade werewolf clans to our side was more important than him … I was off trying to forget what I had lost when I lost Siri … Harry lost him too and he's just a kid who had no one.

"I shouldn't be angry or jealous of Severus at all. I should be thankful that he rescued Harry from those poor excuses for humans; that he stepped out and did what I never would have thought him capable of. He cared for our boy … my best friend's son … my cubchild"

Pomfrey smiled gently at the rough man in front of her. He had changed while he had been gone. She could see the old softness right now, but there was a hardness, a wildness to him now. He had been among his own kind for a long time, and their unchecked feral natures had altered him.

"You've done what you had to do, Remus. We all have. Don't waste time with regrets." With that she dusted her hands off and began working to clean the furniture they had moved into the room for Remus to use.

As they continued, Remus said, "Tell me about the toy you gave to Harry in there. I didn't see anything about that in the memories Albus had."

The witch sighed. "I am not entirely sure myself, as it's not something they've discussed. Harry seems quite attached to it and I've heard him call it Prongs in his sleep."

Remus got a haunted look at that disclosure and his past feelings for Snape cracked even more when she continued.

"When I examined him with the toy in his arms, I detected Severus's magic there, a calming charm specifically from him for Harry. He doesn't want anyone to notice how much it means to him. I believe Severus must have given it to him when he was regressed to comfort him. He's still helped by it, even when potions aren't working well to relieve him."

Remus wordlessly kept working, thinking that he had not given Snape enough credit. His relief at knowing that someone as powerful and efficient as Snape had been taking care of Harry battled with feelings of jealousy that an enemy had taken an attached place in his cubchild's heart.

They had the room set up; another sofa and a chair had come to light in the cramped storage room. Remus had unearthed a four poster bed, but the mattress had been beyond repair. He sighed with regret. It would have been nice to have a real bed after this last year living with in a werewolf den. As it was, he was happy to have the softness of the sofa to sleep on.

With Pomfrey's help, they moved the desk that had been the Grey Lady's. The ghosts had been hovering as they worked, and Nicholas assured them that the silent Lady was satisfied with the use her things were being put to.

The room was habitable, and Remus sent Pomfrey back to her hospital after she briefed him on the potion and food supplies she had set up in Harry's room. He took an old book from the many that were in the small bookcase in Harry's room and sat down on the sofa to read.

He was dozing with the book open on his chest when he felt a tug on his arm. Quickly opening his eyes, he saw Dobby at his elbow.

The elf looked from him over to Harry. "Harry Potter is having a nightmare. Dobby is knowing that Professor Lupin cannot hear Harry like Professor Snape. But Harry is needing him and he will not come."

Remus went quickly to the settee where Harry was twisting restlessly in his blanket. He sat beside him and smoothed a hand back over the dark hair. Harry moaned, shaking his head in his sleep.

Dobby pulled on his ears, whining. "Harry Potter is dreaming of He Who Must Not Be Named … He is seeing the red eyes … the great snake … in his dream he is afraid, even if he is not just a little boy any longer …"

Remus shook his head, "What did you mean, he will not come?"

"Harry Potter is calling to Professor Snape, sir. He calls and the Professor believes it is in his _own_ nightmare. He is answering in his dream that he will never come to Harry, that he hates … the spoiled brat …" Dobby looked at Remus with great distressed eyes. "Why is he saying that to our Harry? He said he loved him … why is he hurting him?"

Remus narrowed his eyes as he looked back down at his cub. The toy deer had fallen on the floor and he picked it up. He pressed it into Harry's hands and the boy clutched it in his sleep, pulling it up to his face. Breathing deeply seemed to calm him slightly.

Remus went to the supply of potions and chose a small vial of Dreamless Sleep. "Help me get him to drink this, Dobby."

The elf held Harry's shoulders up while Remus slowly trickled the potion in between his lips. In another minute, Harry's face relaxed more. Remus asked, "Is he clear of the dream now?"

"The dream is there, but he can't see it as well; but he is still having the sadness and he doesn't understand why his Professor won't help him."

The elf was looking at him as if he had the answer to the question. Remus shook his head. "Go to Professor Dumbledore. Perhaps he should know that Severus is having nightmares also."

When Dobby had gone, Remus sat there beside Harry, thinking about all that Dumbledore had shown him in such a short time and all that had likely been left out in order to get the main overview to him.

He thought he understood that the link between Harry and Snape conveyed unspoken words, as well as thoughts. Snape had been in Harry's dreams, helping the helpless child cope with his fears of red eyes and Nagini. Snape had been able to form the bond of trust through the dreams. Right now, he was destroying them, apparently not remembering anything of the link.

If he destroyed Harry's trust … again … Remus wouldn't think about that yet, until he understood more.

Dumbledore had shown him only brief glimpses of memory of the power Harry had developed. If he became too upset in this dream, would he be able to focus as Snape had encouraged him?

As if in answer to that question, Harry whimpered, and Remus felt a tendril of heat touch the hand he still held to Harry's head.

Remus stood up and drew his wand. Waving it over the settee, he enlarged it. Shrugging out of his robes, he climbed back on and curled himself around Harry, his pack instinct for giving comfort to young ones coming to the fore. Wrapping arms around the boy, he pulled him back against himself and laid his head close to Harry. Soothing growls rumbled up from his throat as he pushed his face against Harry's neck. He held Prongs close to Harry's face with his hands and Harry buried his face in the plush.

For a few moments, the heat continued to grow, and Remus thought that he may have made a mistake in thinking this could work. Then he felt it begin to recede, and the nape of Harry's neck grew cooler against his sensitive nose. In his sleep, Harry began to shiver, so Remus pulled him tighter, closer, trying to convey security and normal warmth.

Harry relaxed slowly until Remus could feel that he was back in a restful sleep. Breathing a sigh of relief, he allowed himself to drift to sleep holding Harry, the scent of the cub in his nose, along with the scent of his old enemy wafting from Prongs.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hermione kept hold of Ron's arm as she marched quickly but quietly around the stacks of books to the very back of the library. The high shelves seemed to teeter precariously back here and most students avoided lingering after finding whatever they were looking for. Hermione wound through them until she came to an abrupt stop, Ron bumping into her.

Draco stood there with his wand drawn. Hermione held Ron's arm when he would have drawn his, and they watched as Draco performed a complicated silencing charm over their area. Ron looked at Hermione in question, but she was looking at Draco. The blond sat down on an old lumpy sofa, waiting until they sat down in chairs facing it.

"He just showed up in the common room as if he hadn't been snatched away at all. He wasn't himself … all snarling and rude." Draco answered Hermione's unspoken questions.

Ron rolled his eyes, "Sounds pretty normal to me."

Hermione ignored him and sat forward towards Draco, "Did you tell –"

He waved an impatient hand, "Yes, yes, I went to Dumbledore straight away. He knows Severus is back, but that's all I know about it. He sent me back to Slytherin. Before all that, I did hear him talking to McGonagall about whether or not to bring that werewolf back. Whether they did or not? I don't know."

"Professor Lupin? They want to bring him back?" She shook her head. "That might be good if Professor Snape had been … well, killed or something. But the two of them are like oil and water. If Lupin is here and Snape is here, that could make it more difficult for Harry …"

Draco gave her a piercing look. "Not if Severus is not in his right mind."

Ron looked at him suspiciously. "Are you finally agreeing that the git is loony?"

Draco sat still for a moment, still staring at Hermione. Coming to a decision, he said quickly, "I believe that my father may have something to do with how he's acting. The portkey was set by him, so Severus had to have been with him before he came back here. Now he's acting all strange. He Imperiused me … maybe he Imperiused Severus, too."

Hermione shook her head, "Professor Snape would be much too smart to allow him to do that."

Draco shook his head back at her and smirked, "Not if my father was ready to act the moment anyone appeared with the portkey. He would have been disarmed and shackled immediately. My father doesn't take chances."

Hermione stood up and paced around their group of seats in thought. "So … how do we find out if he _is_ Imperiused, _what_ he's Imperiused to do, and _how_ do we undo it?"

A low voice caused them all to jump. "You do nothing for the moment, Miss Granger."

Professor Dumbledore stood there, blue eyes without his customary twinkle, but not quite angry. "You will all three behave as if everything is as usual. If anything untoward occurs, let me know at once, but otherwise, I wish for you to be uninvolved."

"But sir, if Professor Snape has been Imperiused, he could try to hurt Harry."

"Harry is back in hiding. As Mr. Malfoy said, we have called upon Professor Lupin to be with him now. He will take over Harry's training and be a protector for him."

"Then, shall I continue to send him his assignments? You should know that Professor Snape just destroyed Harry's Potions Essay when I turned it in because he wasn't in class."

Dumbledore gave her a small smile, "Hold on to those. In fact, do not pass on any of the Potions assignments to Harry for now."

Looking around at them all and then tipping his head, he said, "Now, I believe it is almost time for lunch. If you feel the need to meet again, I trust you will choose a less public place? Perhaps the Room of Requirement?" Then he was gone; silently and quickly enough for them to believe that he just might be able to Apparate within the walls of Hogwarts even if no one else could.

The three looked at each other in silence. Ron broke it by saying quietly, "I don't like the idea of sitting back and doing nothing. I think we should be ready to act, whenever something happens that might endanger Harry."

Draco lifted an eyebrow and gave a small nod, "I agree, Weasley; weird as that may sound to you." It did sound weird to Ron, and Hermione had to nudge him in the side to get him to close his mouth. Draco continued, "I know my father, and whatever he has planned, you may be sure that it isn't a little school prank. He wanted Harry and he didn't get him. Whatever he has planted in Severus … it's certain to be lethal. I say we three make a plan –"

"Who said we trusted you enough to even discuss the need for a plan?" Ron yelled. "You tried to give Harry that portkey and he'd be dead already, or at least with Vol- that monster! "

"Ron! You're not helping!" Hermione scolded. "Draco was Imperiused; by his own father! He's trying to help."

Ron glared at Draco fiercely, "But _why_ is he trying to help? What's his game?"

"No game, Weasley. I've chosen not to die as a slave to the Dark Lord. I've chosen to die, if I have to, on the side of the Light."

They all sat there, stunned by both hearing and admitting the choice of Draco Malfoy.

His grey eyes remained locked with Ron's blue ones until Ron finally nodded.

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A/N: Many, many, many thank you's to everyone reading and reviewing! I know we aren't getting update notices, and I wasn't getting review notices; but I didn't realize that you were not getting the replies sent to your reviews either! Hopefully, you will, at some point, but until then, I want you to know that I check my review page every day and I respond to your comments, even if just to acknowledge that you took the time to do it. I appreciate you all, and I wanted you to be aware that I wasn't ignoring you!

As always, special thanks to logicalquirk, and KimInSpirit for keeping things going here!

Check out the FirstProphecy Yahoo group if you haven't already! I think things are really happening in a fun way there! You can email me at loxodontamagica(at)yahoo(dot)com if you can't find your way in, and Kim or I will open the door!

Last note for this chapter: I hope everyone likes where this is going…but twists and turns are still ahead, so fasten the seatbelts in your recliner!


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Albus Dumbledore carefully watched the Potions Master as he paced rapidly around his office. He had summoned the man up for a 'chat', and Snape had responded with a surly attitude that Dumbledore hadn't heard since early last year. Now he sat with his hands calmly folded on his desk as he gazed at Snape over his half-moon spectacles.

"Why are you wasting my time like this? I told you, I went to Malfoy Manor to celebrate the Slytherin Quidditch victory. You know better than anyone that my role requires me to maintain a civil relationship with the man." Snape turned burning eyes upon the Headmaster, while rubbing at his temple in an agitated way.

Dumbledore knew then that Snape's mind had been tampered with. Malfoy did not yet know that Snape had not intended to return to any more Death Eater Summons. Whatever he had done showed that he believed that Snape's loyalties to Voldemort were intact. It was no small relief that Malfoy had not discovered that.

He was worried about the discomfort Snape was obviously feeling. The spell must be powerful, and Snape must have been fighting it hard for it to leave such a residual. A normal Obliviate and/or Imperius would not leave the victim in a condition that might give clues to those around them that they were being controlled.

"Do you need to see Madame Pomfrey for a Pain Relief Potion? You seem uncomfortable."

Snape whirled about in a billow of black robes, placing his hands on Dumbledore's desk and leaning towards him. "What I _need_ is to return to the brewing I left unattended."

Dumbledore took the opportunity of Snape's nearness to catch a glimpse into his eyes. When Snape turned around and stalked out of the room, he left a very disturbed Headmaster. He sat back, thinking about all that had happened. Whatever magic Malfoy had used, it had not only erased the true event of Snape being taken to Malfoy Manor, but it had erased his memory of other recent happenings … Dobby had come to give him the information that Remus had sent; Snape was being hostile to Harry in their dreams. So, he apparently was unable to recall their link, or their relationship as it stood now.

Was there some key word or phrase that would trigger an attack on Harry? How much had Malfoy learned about the two of them before he set the memory charm?

Snape was an extremely powerful Occlumens … perhaps he had been able to hide the most vital pieces of information, or alter them at least.

Dumbledore shook his head. Snape would not likely allow him to access his mind willingly. Malfoy would have seen to it that Snape resist any attempt to reverse the spells he had cast.

"Dobby, please come here," he called.

The little elf popped up beside him. "Master Dumbledore is calling Dobby?"

"I need you to tell Professor Lupin that Harry is not to have any contact with Severus. No matter how much Harry begs. He can explain to Harry that a very powerful memory charm has been cast; Professor Snape is not himself. We will work out how we can change it or counter it."

Dobby popped away and Dumbledore went to the fireplace. Throwing down the Floo Powder he scooped up, he called out McGonagall's office.

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Harry stirred, feeling warmth against his back. An arm that had been laying over him moved away and the warmth disappeared. He turned his head and saw golden brown eyes staring down at him.

"Hello, Harry." The man's voice was soft, and he sat back, giving Harry room to sit up.

Harry looked at his enlarged settee as he pushed himself upright. He unconsciously stroked the deer in his hands, turning it over and over as he looked around the room. When he looked back at the man who sat beside him, he was silent. The man carefully moved to sit cross legged in front of him.

Remus kept his gaze even with Harry's and said softly, "If you are trying to speak to me without speaking aloud, you should know that I cannot hear you. I know you have a link with Severus, but you'll have to talk out loud to me."

The green eyes seemed troubled as the muscles in Harry's face tensed. "Remus …"

Remus laid a warm hand on Harry's, stilling the frenetic turning of the toy, "Albus showed me memories of what happened over the summer. I know about Severus being your guardian." He shook his head. "If I had been here …"

Now Harry shook his head, "He saved me. It's okay." Then he tilted his head and frowned again. "I keep thinking there's something I need to remember … something important about you … and someone else."

Remus turned his head away from Harry, feeling like his throat had closed over a whimper that was trying to get out. Harry laid Prongs in his lap and turned his hands over to catch hold of Remus's hand. When Remus looked back at him, Harry looked into his eyes. Remus felt tentative mental fingers sifting through his mind and realized Harry was unconsciously trying to Leglimize him. He relaxed and let him see the memories from before everything had gone to hell for him.

A few minutes later, Harry sat back. "Sirius. I had forgotten Sirius. How could I forget the two of you?" His face was drawn in sadness at the disjointed memories.

Their hands remained clasped and Remus squeezed gently. "My guess is that after you regressed, your mind never had cause to open up that memory when you began to remember other things. I wasn't here, Siri wasn't here, you simply had no need to think of us."

"But that's awful; to just not remember how important you were to me!"

"It was for the best, Harry. It would have been worse if you thought there was somebody who _should_ have cared for you and didn't. Even if I had been here, I'm ashamed to say I would've been so wrapped up in my own mourning that I would have been little use to you."

"He was your best friend … the last one." Harry's voice was understanding.

"He was more than a best friend, he was like a brother … he was …" his voice broke off and he looked away again to the tapestry on the wall. Clearing his throat he inclined his head towards the labyrinth. "That's a medieval labyrinthine design. I'm surprised you like it well enough to hang up."

Harry recognized the man's need to change the subject and followed his lead. "I use it to help me get a deeper level of occlusion. Severus was pretty proud of how I had begun to use it all on my own…"

Remus looked back at the mention of Snape. Harry was staring at the labyrinth and Remus could see a tear track down his cheek. His hands began to tremble and he whispered, "Why does he hate me again? I don't understand. I have this big hole …" he put one hand on his chest over his heart.

Remus pulled him into a hug, one that Harry resisted for a moment before giving in to his grief. In his ear, Remus whispered, "We'll find a solution, Harry. We'll get him back."

Pulling back slightly, he looked into Harry's eyes. "But you need to avoid calling to him. Dobby says he believes that he is having nightmares about you and that's why he hears your voice. The old Severus was very harsh and his words are likely to be just as harsh."

Harry looked stricken. "But he's part of my mind – I'm part of his! I need him!"

"I know," Remus soothed. "But now it's _your_ turn to wait patiently for _his_ memories to return." He pulled the boy back up against his chest, the comforting throaty growl vibrating in Harry's ear.

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Hermione and Ron sat side by side on a common room sofa. With her head on his shoulder, they could whisper and people would leave them alone, believing that they were simply being 'together'.

Gazing into the fire, she asked, "Can you trust him enough to let him help?"

"You don't seem to be having trouble trusting him … but he's … well, he's who he is and I can't get past the things he's done and said over the years."

"But he's been really decent lately."

"What if it's an act? What if his father has him under his control still and it's a trap to get us to trust him?"

She remained silent for a while, thinking. Then slowly she said, "We can have a code, just between us. A back-up plan, in case it turns out like you say. I don't think it will, mind you, but it won't hurt to be safe."

They continued to talk quietly, hands intertwined, snuggling in front of the fire.

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Snape raked his quill across the essay in front of him, scathing comments and exclamations of incompetence crowded in the margins. His pot of red ink was nearly empty, he had used so much. The red ink was so like blood … his writing slowed as the thought took hold … he should correct the dim-witted papers using the writer's own blood. _That_ would get their attention, but no doubt he would be called to answer for the act of attempting to instill some measure of skill in the miscreants.

He held the quill up to the light of the lamp and watched, mesmerized, as a single drop of red ink gathered on the nib and slowly grew heavy enough to drop onto the parchment below. The sound the splash made seemed to echo and reverberate in his mind … but that was impossible … such a small thing could not possibly sound so loud. He closed his eyes against the beating of his heart, feeling and hearing it in his head, pounding like a bass drum.

He needed more Pain Relief Potion. This headache was not going away and the usual strength of potion had done nothing to lessen it. That had to be the explanation for these visual and auditory disturbances … but why was he having a headache of this magnitude? He heard a buzzing that got louder as he searched his memory for a clue as to what he had forgotten; something important, something that would help him put a stop to the pain.

For a moment, the pain intensified and he dropped the quill. When he put his head into his hands to rub both temples, his elbow knocked the ink pot over. He rubbed, and the pain receded slightly as he watched the pool of red ink spread.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

McGonagall sat on the opposite side of Dumbledore's desk, a huge book open in front of her. She ran her finger over page after page, scanning for key words or phrases. Dumbledore was doing the same with another book. Books were stacked on either end of the desk, waiting for their attention.

Dumbledore sat back, pulling his book into his lap. The motion caught McGonagall's attention. "Did you find something?"

"I believe so …" he continued reading to himself, flipping a page before sighing and looking up at her. "It appears that Malfoy used an older form of the _Obliviate_ used today. Today's is much easier to control, much quicker, and requires less energy from the caster. It has become a general curse; the recipient's mind is simply wiped of the last few minutes, hours, or days. They believe that they are merely getting forgetful when they sense the gap in their memories."

She looked at him with interest. "The older form was more complex, I take it?"

"It was. Before it became the simple _Obliviate_, it was _Deleo Coactu_."

"But that means a more complete annihilation by force!" McGonagall exclaimed, as she worked out the Latin meaning of the curse.

Dumbledore nodded. "It was much too powerful for most wizards; instead of simply making their victim forget, it wiped their minds completely, essentially leaving them with no higher brain function at all. Malfoy has apparently tempered it to suit his needs with Severus."

"Is there a counter curse?"

"It was seldom successful against the initial curse. It was the first unforgivable. Plus, I believe that Malfoy may have combined the _Deleo Coactu_ with at least one, maybe two other obscure curses. He was making sure that his work would not be easy to identify completely, nor would it be easy to finite."

McGonagall stared across the desk, a hand over her lips as she took in his words. "Malfoy erased his mind, and then filled it with something else? Is that what you're thinking?"

"That puts it rather simply. Severus seems to have no recent memories. He doesn't realize the link with Harry, he doesn't remember deciding not to return to Voldemort. He is not the more pleasant man we have become accustomed to of late; he is more like the man of last year and before, and even worse." Dumbledore stood up to pace as he talked. "There is something else there, though, under the surface. I caught a brief glimpse in his eyes… something is waiting inside him."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Harry and Remus gradually became accustomed to each other's presence. For Remus, it was a transition from pack living; becoming the solitary adult, not one of several. He had been used to his place in the hierarchy as a lower ranking male to the alpha werewolf, but almost on an equal level with the alpha female. After so long among them, they had grown to trust him with their cubchildren, allowing him to discipline them and to teach them animal hunting skills to take the place of hunting humans when the moon was full. They had become more open to the idea of using the Wolfsbane Potion that had been developed by Snape to subdue the werewolf from emerging. They watched as he withstood the change, even as they were tormented by it. The alpha male was the highest ranking in the western European continent. If Remus could eventually convince him to align with the Light, then the rest of the European packs would likely follow suit.

Being with Harry brought back memories of when he had been a tiny baby. James and Lily had entrusted his care to Remus and Sirius on numerous occasions and they had joked about having their own little pack. Harry's scent had imprinted itself on Remus then, and deep down, he had considered the baby to be his own cub. Being with Harry now reawakened those protective feelings, knowing what he had been through this past year; understanding the torture he had endured at the hands of Lily's sister and brother-in-law. The thought that they had been so cruel made the wolf in him itch to emerge without the aid of a full moon. Being with the pack had heightened his feral senses and he had a strong desire to hunt the offending humans and eliminate them.

Harry had been wary of Remus at first, not understanding the wolf ways of comforting their young, the unfamiliar growls and chuffings were alarming when Remus would put his arms around him and Harry heard them coming from the man.

Gradually, though, Harry realized that the sounds were calming him more than alarming him, and that when Remus was near, he felt a sense of being protected; particularly when he had moments of desperately needing Severus, desperately worrying about him, and having bad dreams about never seeing him again.

Their conversations grew more comfortable; Harry worked on the assignments Hermione sent with Hedwig, and Remus tutored him through the class notes she had copied for him.

The room Harry had made for himself to practice his magic in was put to use and Remus put Harry through dueling practical's and exercises in Charms and Transfiguration. Harry was puzzled to find that his magic was more or less functioning at normal levels. Remus had been told about the intense build up and eruption of dangerous levels of magic that he was capable of, but he could not provoke it, nor could Harry summon it up.

Remus ordered books sent from the library so he could do some reading on magical fluctuations, and he would sit on the sofa in Harry's room doing that while Harry worked on essays and his own readings.

Once, Harry asked, "Hermione isn't sending me any Potions assignments. Is there a reason why not?"

Remus closed his book and looked at him with his eyes soft. "The last assignment she gave him of yours met with an _incendio_."

Harry nodded slowly and returned to his work. Remus noticed that while he looked to be busy, he wasn't writing much and he kept staring at one spot on the parchment. He wished he could avoid telling Harry things like that, but if the boy thought that Snape was reachable, he would be sure to try. It was better for him to know the truth of how Snape was acting so he would simply stay clear of the man's mind.

That night, Harry woke Remus up with his shrieks. Remus bounded from his room across the hall and was on the settee in moments. Harry's eyes were wide open but not seeing. The nightmare was in full force and he was pressed back against the settee, knees drawn up and hands thrust out in front of him. Remus could feel a small increase in the temperature surrounding him, but nothing like what had been described.

Gently placing himself beside Harry, he put a hand on his arm. Harry jerked in reaction. "No! Get away … not the red eyes … I don't want to see the red eyes!"

Remus moved closer and pulled him back against his chest. Running his hands down Harry's arms, he took the hands in his and crossed them over Harry's chest until he had him in an embrace. He placed his chin on Harry's shoulder, growling softly, soothingly.

Harry struggled at first, and then slowly leaned back against Remus. Remus made his calming noises and murmured, "I'm with you Harry … see the wolf in your dream? Do you see him yet?"

He continued the low growls and rumbles until Harry nodded. "That's me … I'm with you … the red eyes can't get you now. I'm here."

Harry grew limp as the nightmare became bearable; he wasn't alone anymore. Severus wasn't there, but the wolf was, and he was between Harry and the red eyes.

Remus lowered Harry back into a lying position on the settee, curling himself around his cubchild; face pressed against his neck as he murmured continued assurances. Harry reached a hand back and tangled it into Remus's long hair, hanging on to the wolf who protected him.

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_**A/N:**__ My knowledge of Latin is non-existent. I cobbled together my non-canon curses or hexes, etc from the Latin Word List at the an on-line reference source._

_Sorry about the wait…I had made revisions but forgot to save and had to do it again!_

_Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing; I think everyone is getting their alerts and messages now. Let's just hope there are no more glitches anytime soon!_

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	28. Chapter 28

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy)**

Chapter 28

Hermione and Ron carried her stack of library books to a secluded table. He sat down and looked over it at the girl. "What am I looking for?"

"Curses and hexes that can make a person do your will," she answered as she began to put the books in the order she wanted to search through them in.

"That's the Imperius, 'Mione."

She rolled her eyes. "It won't be that simple, Ron. We need to know what the other curses and hexes that can do the same thing are. The professor isn't under a simple Imperius. The signs are wrong."

Next to her shoulder, Draco appeared. "It'll be somewhat obscure, but it will likely be what my father would consider pure."

She started at his sudden appearance and Ron gave his usual scowl. "What do you mean, 'pure'?"

Draco looked over the stack of books, running a finger across their spines and titles. "It won't be anything that could be called folk magic. Whatever it is, it would be most likely from an original old Latin source."

She tilted her head at him. "Then you agree that it's something like the Imperius, but not?"

Draco looked around before answering. "It won't be anything easy to find or find a counter for. Father will have made sure that it's nearly impossible for anyone to reverse his work." He pulled a book from the bottom of the pile, frowning, and slid it across the table. "This book is in our library at home."

Pansy and Blaise appeared at his elbow and she looked at him suspiciously. "What are you doing here, Draco, with them?"

Draco narrowed his eyes, his face closed of expression. Taking a book from the stack, he stepped back. "Madame Pince said she had this book back here. I need it for my homework." Sneering slightly at Hermione, he raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure you don't need this right now, Granger. Surely you have enough books that I can use this one?"

She nodded silently, and Draco led the other Slytherins away. Hermione looked at Ron for a few moments before they settled down to the table. Without a word, he began looking through a book while she focused on the book Draco had singled out.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Snape stood over the cauldron, hair falling in greasy waves as he stirred the bubbling purple liquid. He had added more black willow bark and valerian to this batch, aiming for a brew that would finally ease the pounding pain in his head. He had already increased the amount of papaver somniferum to levels that would leave him addicted if he took it as much as he felt he needed to. The thought of dependence had stayed his hand only for a moment. He could not continue to function with this excruciating sensation ruling every moment. His sleep was disrupted by disturbing dreams of a tormented Potter and red eyes that he knew belonged to the Dark Lord. While he didn't care that Potter had nightmares – the brat had never practiced the Occlumency, after all – he didn't want to be saddled with any reminders that the boy was inept. He certainly wasn't going to fawn over him like all the other teachers who were allowing him to skip classes and turn in his work through that bushy-haired know it all Granger. If he didn't attend class, he would not score his essays. At least Granger had taken the hint and not attempted to hand in any more of Potter's work.

Shaking his head to clear the wandering of his thoughts, he bent back over the cauldron. Unconsciously, he reached over and took another large pinch of the papaver and sprinkled it in as he stirred.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Remus was sipping a cup of tea when Harry woke up. The rest of his night had been more restful, as long as Remus had remained draped around him. Harry had burrowed into the security of the werewolf, keeping his hand in Remus's hair.

Now Harry sat up and stared at Remus. "I dreamed that a big gray and white wolf chased away Nagini."

"Yes." Remus' eyes were watchful, gauging Harry's mood and waiting to sense how he would deal with Remus helping him.

"You weren't really there, in the dream, were you?"

"No; not like Severus was when he was in your dreams. I was able to persuade your subconscious to insert the idea of me being there. You chose to see me there."

Harry thought about that for awhile and Remus added, "Actually, that's very good that you have enough control of your dreamstate to allow an outsider in, to place me there."

"If my control is so great, where has the hot magic gone? Why has it gotten weaker?" He rushed to add, "I'm not complaining, if I don't have to deal with an overflow like that anymore, it'll be alright. I just don't want it to keep getting weaker until it disappears."

"It won't. I've been doing some reading and thinking about it." He held up the book in his hands.

"Tell me what you've found."

Remus shook his head, "Not yet. Let me gather a little more before we test a theory I've come up with." He stood up. "Come and eat. We're going to get some major exercise today."

"How? Are we going outside?"

"I borrowed this," he said pointing to the Marauders Map on the table. "I hope you don't mind."

Harry shrugged. "You helped make it in the first place. It belongs more to you than me."

"It's yours, Harry." Remus was unfolding the map and spreading it out on the settee. "When I saw that the map would show all the uninhabited areas of the castle, I got an idea. Let's make out a running route. We can go up and down stairs, using the corridors to run, There are rooms we can stop in along the way for dueling. Eventually, we end up back here."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Okay, I guess."

Remus pulled breakfast from the food box and they sat on the settee to eat. Harry ate silently, eyes down. Remus observed him for a moment and then asked, "Are you alright? Something is bothering you."

"I should be stronger. I'm not some baby anymore and there I was, clinging to you … it was … weird."

Remus shrugged and said matter-of-factly, "Within the pack, everyone huddles together, whether for warmth, protection, or just for the companionship. The pups are often in the center of it all. The young are considered pups and are comforted and protected, like I did for you, until they can hunt on their own." He looked Harry with soft brown eyes. "You are my cubchild, Harry. I have considered you to be such since you were a baby. I haven't been here for you in recent years, but I am here now. Until you are grown, or until you are able to fully take care of yourself, I will feel compelled to treat you as I did last night. You should not feel any shame in what you call clinging."

Harry ate his toast slowly as he thought about Remus's words. Then, "Will you teach me to hunt?"

Remus raised his eyebrows. "Hunt?"

"I want an advantage. I know my magic will eventually be as strong as Voldemort's. At least that's what Dumbledore says. But if I can hunt like you, I'd have an advantage, wouldn't I?"

Remus shook his head. "You're not a werewolf. You cannot hunt like one. But I can teach you the stealth of a wolf. I can show you how to read the body language of others. I can help you be confident on your feet, whether standing still or running."

Harry perked up at that and finished drinking his pumpkin juice. Remus conjured up a pair of loose running pants for him and said, "Wear a t-shirt only with these. Even if the castle is cold, we'll warm up soon enough."

Harry changed clothes and stood with his wand, ready for whatever Remus had planned.

Remus warmed them up by briskly walking as he talked. "The corridors are unlit, remember, and it will be dark. Use your _lumos_, but don't rely on it. Try to sense your surroundings, use your ears and skin to help tell you where obstacles might lay." 

"My skin?"

"It's difficult to explain … have you ever felt the hair on your arms or neck rise, when things don't seem right?" Harry nodded in comprehension. "Listen to those feelings in your body. Learn what they are telling you."

Harry nodded again and Remus sped up his pace, leaving him to catch up. Before Harry realized it, they were running through the dark hallways, Remus in the lead. He would occasionally give them a brief light, but would quickly douse it again.

Harry stopped, breathing hard, when he realized that he didn't hear Remus's footfalls anymore. He almost held up his wand for light and then stopped. Slowing his breathing, he strained his ears to hear any sound. Gradually, noises became clearer; a distant dripping of water, faint sounds of drafts blowing through the halls from open doors.

Then, he felt the hair on his arms stir, a shiver running down his spine. Even knowing that it was Remus drawing near didn't help the sudden apprehension.

A sharp clang drew his attention to the right and he cast an _Expelliarmus_, moving his arm in an arc to cover more ground.

Remus's voice in his ear, along with _Incarcerous_, startled him. "Never assume that a sound you hear in front of you originated there. Your enemy will be aiming to distract, draw your focus away from himself." He lit his wand and murmured a _finite_ for his binding spell, releasing Harry.

Harry turned to face him, the threads of fear receding now that he could move. Remus was staring at him in the glow of the Lumos, eyes golden. He gave Harry a nod, approving his calmness, and then he was away in the darkness again. Harry listened as the soft running footsteps faded and then he was following.

The corridors seemed endless to Harry and he wondered how Remus had memorized the paths they needed to take to stay in the uninhabited portions of the castle and yet not be lost at the end of it all.

They were both covered in sweat when they arrived back in the hall in front of their rooms. Remus had asked Dobby to have the house elves fully repair the bathroom that Harry had originally found and they headed there for a shower.

Back in Harry's room, Remus sat on the sofa while Harry sat cross-legged on the settee.

"Did you feel any of the sensations we talked about?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "It's a matter of a different focus than what I've been used to. I've been feeling with my mind, hearing emotions and thoughts in my head. You want me to feel with my body."

"Exactly," Remus smiled. "Your mind is your most powerful weapon. But if your body is not ready to act and react quickly, it might not matter how strong the mind is."

"Severus wouldn't like it that you're encouraging my Gryffindor tendency to act before I think." Harry stopped smiling as soon as the words left his mouth. He missed Snape, and thinking about how the man would feel about his learning from Remus brought that emptiness back to the front of his thoughts again.

Remus moved over beside him and ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "I'm not trying to make you forget what Severus has taught you. He's right about not rushing into something without a proper plan or preparation. What I'm trying to do is to help you

put the two together; reacting quickly based on knowing that however you act, it will be right, because your body has given you the right information about your surroundings."

Harry got up and opened the window. Sunlight flooded the room and a warmer than expected breeze blew in. He leaned on the sill, looking out over the grounds. Behind him, Remus put a hand on his shoulder. Harry felt the comfort that the werewolf was imparting and he accepted it gratefully, knowing that words weren't necessary.

A loud pop turned them both back to the room. Dobby stood there and when Remus looked at him in question, he said, "Professor Dumbledore is wishing to see you Professor Lupin, sir. I is to stay here with Harry Potter while you are away."

Remus looked at Harry. "I'll not be long. Try to do some of you assignments and we'll work on them when I return."

Harry nodded silently and Remus pulled on his dark gray robes before striding out.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hermione and Ron were walking to class when Draco bumped into Hermione, almost causing her to fall. Ron caught her elbow and glared at Draco. "Watch where you're going, Malfoy."

Draco glared back, sixth year Slytherins behind him. "I was watching, Weasel. Slytherins don't stand aside for anyone." He pulled a book out of his bag. "But seeing as how you're here now, you may as well carry this back to the library for me. I know the two of you are anxious for some alone time, away from all the other Gryffs."

He thrust the book at Hermione and then walked away quickly, before she could retort. The Slytherins fell into his wake.

Looking down at the book, she saw that it was the one he had taken when they had met in the library. A piece of paper marked a place and she closed her mouth, staring after the receding boy.

After sitting down in Transfiguration, she opened the book and saw that he had marked a particular passage dealing with pagan charms. Snapping it closed, she slid the book into her bag.

As soon as class was over and no one was left, she went up to Professor McGonagall. "Draco found something." She took the book out and opened it to the pages Draco had marked, showing it to the older woman.

"Do you really believe that this is significant? I, for one, cannot see Lucius Malfoy using obscure dialects of old to cast his spells."

Hermione raised an eyebrow, and McGonagall wondered for a second if the girl realized how the gesture mimicked that of Snape. Then she focused on what Hermione had said. "That's just it, isn't it? No one _would_ think that he would use it, that's why he _did_!" Looking at the book and turning a few pages, she added, "Draco must think there's something here, and he knows his father better than anyone else does."

McGonagall held out her hand and Hermione handed it to her. "I'll take it to Professor Dumbledore. Merlin knows, we've exhausted every other avenue of possibility."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Remus swiftly took the lesser-used hallways to get to Dumbledore's office. He supposed that it wasn't a deep secret that he was here, but since he was here to privately teach and watch over Harry, it was likely that Dumbledore would wish him to be discreet.

The gargoyle stepped aside for him and he walked up the steps, halting outside the door. His wolf sense of smell told him an old enemy was inside. Squaring his shoulders and taking a deep breath, he entered the office. Snape turned to face him from his place beside the fire and sneered.

"I wouldn't have thought the Board of Governors would approve your presence here. They seemed very insistent that children not be taught by dangerous creatures."

Remus walked warily towards Snape, determined to be the picture of calm. "It's good to see you, too, Severus."

Snape ignored him and turned to Dumbledore. "Why is he here? Hasn't the school had enough trouble?"

Dumbledore sat behind his desk, fingers steepled under his chin as he watched the taller man. "Remus is here to be of help to Harry." He was watching to see Snape's reaction to that.

Snape bared his teeth in a grimace. "That brat should not be treated as special. I've told you that no good would come of it." He rubbed his temple as he began to pace restlessly. "Thinking of him makes my head hurt."

Dumbledore sat forward. "You do seem to be in some discomfort. Is it getting worse?" His tone was light and conversational, but Snape narrowed his eyes.

"I've had worse, as you well know. It's just that I am sick of everything centering around the spoiled child. Everyone bends over backwards to meet his every whim."

"Severus, do you not recall how his family treats him?"

"What, that he doesn't get first choice over his cousin all the time?" He got a sarcastic smile on his face. "My, that is abusive, isn't it? Then he comes here expecting the same. I've told you before; if he is not in my classroom, he will not be graded. I will not consider his papers as adequate work. So, if Lupin here is his tutor, it will not be for potions."

Dumbledore glanced at Remus and then continued low lightly, "Then nothing has happened to give you cause to change your mind about Harry; how you feel about him?"

Snape growled through gritted teeth, "The day I change my mind about that boy will be the day the Dark Lord wears knickers and walks down the middle of Diagon Alley."

That said, he turned in a whirl of black robes and stalked out of the room.

Dumbledore and Remus remained silent for a while, and then Dumbledore waved a hand, shutting and locking the door. "That was rather uncharacteristic of him, wouldn't you say?"

Remus nodded and sat down in a chair, crossing his legs. His brown eyes were flashing with amber light. "He smells of pain, and down deep there is fear. He hides it behind the anger and snarling, but he is a wounded animal. I could smell desperation when he said Harry's name, like he is somehow trying to push him as far away as he can. The more he pushes, the more he hurts."

"Lucius has successfully wiped his mind of his love for Harry, then."

Remus sighed. "Harry senses that Severus hates him again. Even though he understands about the curses, he is understandably upset."

"Minerva and I have been searching for whatever the curses may be. There's more than one. The first is the _Deleo Coactu. _There is at least one other. Draco brought an obscure passage to Miss Granger's attention. When he arrives in a moment, perhaps he will shed some light on why he believes his father chose from old pagan charms."

He summoned tea and sandwiches from the house elves and in a few minutes there was a knock at the door. Dumbledore called to Draco to enter and the blond came into the room. He looked at Remus in surprise, but took the chair that Dumbledore indicated.

"Draco, how is Slytherin coping?"

Draco took a moment to answer and then said, "I don't mean any disrespect to my head of house, sir, but he's ten times worse than he ever was. It's been hard, especially on the first years. They didn't know him before he mellowed out. Now that he's back to being a … well, now that he's not so easy to be around, they seem to be upset a lot."

"I'm sure you are a competent prefect and doing your best to ease their minds?"

"I'm trying, sir. But the thing is, even when Severus used to be brutal with everyone else, he was always okay with our house, and with me. But he's not now. He's mean and vindictive to everyone."

Dumbledore nodded in understanding. "Miss Granger presented Professor McGonagall with your discovery of some pagan charms. Do you believe that your father would have used them?"

Draco looked surprised. "She said I found them? She didn't take credit for it?"

"Miss Granger is not one to take credit upon herself where none is due. She did indeed say that you found them. She also believes that your father may have used the old gaelic charms to throw anyone off who was looking for the curse he used."

Draco was momentarily stunned that Hermione would have followed his line of thinking so quickly and readily. "Yes, sir. It would be like a joke to him. You know, to use something like that when everyone would be searching the books for pureblood spells."

"Then we need to hasten to find what he may have used so we can develop a countercurse." Dumbledore turned to Remus. "If you are agreeable, I think we can find another copy of the book Draco had, and you can read through it. As I recall, old languages was something of a hobby of yours?"

Remus nodded and then turned to Draco. "I remember we did not always get on when I was here as professor. I hope we can start over, now that you have aligned yourself with us?"

Draco nodded, although his expression was guarded. "Am I still under suspicion? Do you still believe that my father might be controlling me somehow?"

Dumbledore passed him the plate of sandwiches. "My dear boy, you are proving to be most helpful to the Light. If we seem to be a little hesitant still, it is only because of your age. Even Harry isn't privy to everything that goes on the part of our side. When you are of age, you will be included in more."

"I bet Harry gets pretty miffed when he's left out of the loop," Draco commented, selecting something to eat.

Dumbledore twinkled. "Indeed he does."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_**A/N:**_

_papaver somniferum-poppy, opiate plant. This is what I can invision Snape using to increase the potency of a potion he needs for himself. _

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_Thank you to __**everyone**__ for reading and reviewing! I love you all to pieces! I am hoping the weather is being kind to you all…we've had some pretty nasty storms here and my house had some minor flooding. Cleaning up may take away some of my writing time this weekend…___

_Time for the standard disclaimer; I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter and I am only in the fanfiction arena for the fun of it! Everything is the property of the wonderful JK Rowling!!! May she live long and prosper!!!_


	29. Chapter 29

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy)**

Chapter 29

When Remus returned to the rooms Dobby was sitting on the floor beside the settee. Harry was curled into a ball, holding Prongs tightly. He hurried over and sat beside him. Gently caressing Harry's forehead got no response and Remus looked questioningly at Dobby.

"Harry Potter is talking to Professor Snape …"

Remus pulled Harry up and gave him a light shake by the shoulders. "Harry! Stop!"

Harry raised glazed eyes to him. "But I need you, Severus …" was a whisper. Then he closed his eyes and leaned against Remus. "I just want him to remember me …"

Remus wrapped his arms around Harry and held him as fresh sobs shook him. "You mustn't try to reach him right now. He's in pain from whatever Lucius did to him. He's beyond listening to anyone, but he is especially closed to you, Harry."

"I can feel the pain when I open the link. It's as bad as my scar when Voldemort gets to me. He's seeing Uncle Vernon for some reason … only instead of him beating me, Severus is seeing Uncle Vernon beat _him _… why would that be part of his hallucinations?"

Remus rocked the boy slowly as they sat there. "I don't know. I just know you shouldn't go there anymore. It only agitates Severus more and makes you upset."

"I thought that if I could talk to him through the link I could get through to him about what was true."

"After we find the spells used and find the counters to them, perhaps you will be able to do that."

Harry finally leaned back, drawing a deep breath. Remus moved back to give him room. Harry looked at the labyrinth tapestry and Remus saw him begin to trace the path with his eyes.

Remus moved to the sofa, leaving Harry to occlude the hateful voice of Snape from his mind.

A while later, Dobby popped away and was back quickly with a book. He handed it to Remus and said, "Professor Dumbledore said to tell you this is the other copy Madame Pince found, so Professor Lupin can keep this and use it as long as he needs to."

"Thank you, Dobby." Dobby popped away again, knowing that he would be called when needed.

When Remus looked back at Harry a few minutes later, he was asleep. He spent some time with the book and made copious notes on Gaelic spells and charms.

He could feel his time of change coming, and he wondered if Snape would be making his Wolfsbane, given the mood he was currently in. He would need to prepare his room with restraints and give Harry warning.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Snape strode down the hallways of Hogwarts, robes flying out around him like great black sails. How like the old man to continue in the belief that everyone should bend to the needs of the brat who lived. Well, he would not bend. He would keep the brat in his place. He rubbed at his temple as he walked rapidly. Merlin, the very thought of the boy made his head pound like the devil himself was forging iron in his skull. The pain relief potion would have to be even stronger if he hoped to be able to teach his classes the next day. Perhaps an additional ingredient might be added …

Wolfsbane … he hadn't made the Wolfsbane for that mangy werewolf. The full moon was tomorrow night, wasn't it? He could make a less elaborate brew for him. Served him right for coming here and coddling St. Potter. And that's what he was doing, he was sure. Telling the boy how wonderful and deserving of adoration he was, probably.

'_Severus? Can you hear me?'_

Snape stopped in the middle of his mental tirade. Standing still in the middle of the passageway, he cocked his head to the side. A hand came up to rub at the side of his head again as he listened.

'_I know you can hear me … please listen … you've been hexed or something; try to focus on me …'_

Snape put both hands up to the sides of his head, squeezing his skull between them_. 'Get out of my mind! You're nothing more than a hallucination!'_

Visions of Harry Potter began to whirl around in his thoughts; big green eyes frightened, looking like a small child instead of a teenager. The uncle … Dursley? … came into view, wielding a wide leather belt of some kind. He was swinging it by the end, the brass-coloured buckle catching the light as it arched through the air. Potter shielded his face, cringing. The blows fell one after another, and then suddenly the blows were falling on Snape. Now the fat man was using his meaty fists, raining pain on every part of Snape's body The man was muttering in between blows. "It's the freaky boy's fault, all of it. He's responsible for all the pain, all the trouble … he's caused it all."

Snape believed it. Of course it was true. The littlest Potter monster had brought distress to everyone. It was up to Snape to put an end to it. He screamed at the voice in his head, _'Get out of my head__ you freak! Your uncle is right; it's all your fault, everything bad that happens is because of you.'_

He felt the voice suddenly disappear as if it hadn't been there. See? It was just a hallucination. Merlin, he was tired. How long had it been since he'd slept? No wonder he was susceptible to these nightmares, even while awake.

He returned to walking rapidly towards the dungeons. He would brew a better pain relief concoction this time … Thoughts of Wolfsbane completely left him as he began to focus on what other ingredients he had that he could add to his headache relief potion.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Remus thought through the Gaelic words he had written. There were so many that it could be. Had Lucius used spells that had been known and used in the era that spoke them? Had he bastardized them to suit his own purposes? Had he made up his own curse or curses, combining the words with Latin to bind them to his will? With a deep sigh, he ran a hand through his grizzled hair. He needed to speak with Draco. He would have at least a small sense of what his father may have done. He called Dobby to him and gave him a message for Draco. Then he went to wake Harry.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hermione and Ron had finished their homework and immediately set to work on the books Hermione had set aside. Among them were texts instructing the wizard on spell construction and deconstruction.

Ron quickly left that to her, claiming he had no patience to deconstruct English, let alone Latin or any other language that could be used for spellcasting. He focused on trying to find out more concerning Harry's growing powers and what they might mean.

When a shadow fell over the page he was reading, he looked up to see Draco. He held back a scowl that wanted to cross his face and managed to be civil. "What now, Malfoy?"

Draco looked at him mildly. "I need to borrow Granger's brain for a moment."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "For what?"

"I need to know what you've found about combining two languages to cast spells. Does it work? How do you counter it?"

She frowned down at the book in her hands. "I was just reading about that very thing. Give me a bit and I'll have an answer. Room of Requirement after curfew?"

Draco nodded. "Professor Lupin will be there too." He melted back into the shadows of the library and Hermione doubled her efforts over the book.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

When Ron and Hermione arrived at the Room of Requirement, Remus and Draco were already there. Remus hugged Hermione tightly.

"I'm sorry about your parents …"

She stepped back, looking at him quizzically, "But you were there at the funeral … I know you're sorry …" She looked at Ron. "Polyjuice? Who was it then?"

Ron looked uncomfortable and then muttered, "Since Remus was out of the country, Snape used him as a disguise."

She nodded with a small frown. "I had thought Professor Snape wanted to come but couldn't face it … but he _was_ there …"

She shook herself out of thoughts of the past and looked back at Remus. "Thank you, Professor." Giving herself a mental shake, she went back to the business at hand, " Now, I think I may have found something."

They sat down and started in on comparing notes. Ron quickly shook his head in exasperation. "Just teach me the spell and I'll do it!"

Remus gave him a small smile. "That's the problem, Ron. There isn't just one. We believe that there a number of factors at work here. I was hoping Draco might have insight into how his father might have constructed his curses."

All eyes went to Draco and he reddened. "My father is a purist. Last year, I would have said he would only use Latin to formulate a spell. He did so quite often. He liked having spells only he knew, ones with his magical signature. He bragged to me that he developed spells for the Inner Circle, like Severus developed potions."

"Do you think the ones he used this time were spells he might have done for Voldemort?"

Both Draco and Ron jerked at Remus's saying the name. Hermione rolled her eyes, and then lifted an eyebrow at Draco, waiting for him to respond to Remus's question. Draco looked annoyed that he had reacted just like Ron, but he continued.

"It could be spells he was working on to control people better. I know I overheard him talking to some other Death Eaters over the summer, and he was looking for a better Imperius, one that couldn't be as readily detected as the other."

"Would he have gone off and developed some that Voldemort didn't know of?"

Draco flinched again at the name, but nodded.

"Last year, I would have said no, but he's changed now. He's becoming more and more deranged with his role in the Inner Circle. He craves the power and I think he's even willing to risk the Dark Lord's wrath to get it."

Remus nodded thoughtfully. "Then I suggest we come as close as we can to the curse or curses he cast on Severus, then develop our own countercurses. Since we won't be sure of exactly what we're countering, we'll each have a counter that will be our responsibility to learn and cast when the time comes."

Hermione and Draco met that statement by leaning over Remus's parchment of notes and starting their own. Ron sat back and continued his own reading.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Harry sat in the corner of the settee, reading the book that Remus had made his notes out of. Remus had set him to work with it, reasoning that with Harry's brief glimpses into Snape's mind there might be Gaelic words, that when translated, sparked some kind of idea in Harry's mind. Harry was willing because it meant he was directly working to find a solution to Snape's change of personality.

Remus had told him that when he came back he would be reinforcing the door to his own room, and adding chains to the wall with which to restrain himself. Snape had made no mention of the usual Wolfsbane Potion, and Remus was reluctant to pursue it with him.

Reading and writing down the words he felt might be significant, Harry wondered how they would decide if Lucius had made literal translations, or if he had played word games. For a few minutes, he felt a hopelessness that threatened to overwhelm him again. His breath hitched in his chest and he recognized the signs of panic. Prongs was close at hand and Harry held the toy in both hands, breathing in the calming charm that Severus had given it. After a few more tense minutes, he was able to relax and return to the book, a fresh determination to help find the solution on his face.

It was getting late when Remus returned. A glance around the room told him that Dobby had not brought a goblet of Wolfsbane. He had hoped that Snape would send it to him via the elf, since he knew Remus was in the castle. The fact that he did not could mean that Snape simply felt like denying the draught to Remus, or perhaps that he did not remember that he was supposed to be brewing it as a matter of routine. Remus could not decide which possibility was the more disturbing.

Harry followed him to the room across the hall and watched as Remus added the strong chains to the far wall and reinforced the links, as well as the point of anchoring them.

Remus felt that moonrise was just about upon him and he turned to Harry. "I'm giving you my wand. Use it to seal the door. In the morning, you can open the door and unchain me."

Harry looked at him sadly, and Remus went to him, holding him by the shoulders to look into his eyes. "Harry, I'll be back to normal in the morning. It will be alright. Dobby will be with you, and the ghosts." He went to the chains and fastened them around his ankles and wrists. Using his wand, he sealed them shut and then handed the wand to Harry. Harry took it, and after a moment's hesitation he wrapped his arms around Remus, hugging him fiercely.

Then he exited the room and sealed the door as Remus had ordered. He stood outside the door and waited, listening. He knew that moonrise had begun when the terrible sounds came from within. Remus was changing, and howling with each broken and reshaping bone, each over-stretched muscle and tendon, each painful morphing of his physical being. Harry heard the chains rattling as they were yanked against their anchors again and again, the werewolf snarling and spitting in his fury at being restrained.

Dobby was in his room when he went across the hall. In his elf mind he felt Harry's sense of abandonment, seeing that he felt alone again with Remus effectively unable to be there for him. He put a tiny hand on Harry to remind him of his presence. Harry gave him a brief smile of acknowledgment and then gathered his book and a blanket. Putting them down on the floor of the hallway, he went back for Prongs and the lamp.

He settled into his makeshift nest outside the werewolf's door, leaning against the wood. He was remembering stories about how his father, Sirius and someone named Peter had transformed themselves into Animagi so they could keep Remus company during his change. He wished that he could transform into something so he could remain with the man. He continued his reading by the light of the lamp on the floor, occasionally looking up at a particular whine or growl from within. It seemed as if the werewolf settled in too, not struggling against the chains anymore. Harry fell asleep listening to the soft snarling snores.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Sleep did not come to the Potions Master. The pain relief potion had been intensified and it had dampened the agony in his head. Instead of having the benefit of knocking him out, it seemed to have robbed him of any ability to settle down. He prowled the office, his quarters and finally set out into the castle. He was shadow among the shadows as he walked from dungeon to Astronomy Tower. Once there, he stared out at the full moon as it rose over the Dark Forest. In the back of his drugged mind he felt that there was something he had forgotten, but couldn't pinpoint it. The overriding thought was that this was Potter's fault. Why, he didn't know. But the thought was firmly planted, so it must be true. Whatever was wrong with him was that freak's fault …

His mind veered off: _freak_? Where did that word come from? He didn't like the brat, hated him even, but he had never thought of him as a freak … spoiled rotten, sitting up on his pedestal, but not a freak …

He leaned on the low stone wall of the battlements as a vision of the boy being beaten by his Muggle uncle flashed into his brain, this time with all the shrieks of pain and the yells of verbal abuse echoing in his ears. When it got louder, he clapped his hands over his ears, trying to shut it out. The vision was relentless, and then suddenly switched to one of himself on the receiving end of Dursley's raging fists and belt.

Darkness was slowly creeping into his consciousness and he slumped down against the wall, welcoming the coming respite. Two lucid thoughts ended the torment before rough sleep overcame him: what the hell was going on, and was Harry safe…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Professor Filius Flitwick sat behind his desk, almost hidden by the tall stacks of books and papers. He held the letter in his hands and a smile broke out on his face. The letter was written in elegant script on expensive creamy parchment.

"This is marvelous!" he spoke to himself. "This will be a most enjoyable Masked Ball, and now Albus and Minerva won't have to worry about that, along with all the other worries on their plate!"

He took out his best quill and parchment and proceeded to write a response to the benefactors who volunteered to underwrite and arrange the Masked Ball on Halloween.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

When morning came, Remus called out to Harry. Harry released him, looking over him intently. Remus rubbed his wrists where the cuffs from the chains had scraped his skin raw when he had struggled against them. He had dark circles under his eyes and he was a little unsteady on his feet.

After eating breakfast, they went to the shower so Remus could clean up and change. After dressing, he said, "Let's go for a run; I need to stretch my muscles out."

Harry nodded in agreement and they were off.

Remus stopped in a large room and they stood catching their breath. "Show me what you can do Harry."

Harry decided on some odd pieces of furniture as targets. With Remus at his back, he fired off an impressive volley of spells, splintering them.

"Well done!" Remus exclaimed, and then stopped smiling at Harry's frown. "What

is it? That was a very powerful assault for someone your age, even if you are Harry Potter."

Harry shook his head. "That was nothing compared to what it was two weeks ago. I blew a hole in the floor of the dungeons that four people could lie down in. I burned up a hospital bed to ash."

"Two weeks, you say?" Remus tilted his head to the side, thoughtfully, as Harry nodded.

"Has it been getting weaker gradually?"

Harry shrugged. "I guess so. It was out of control for awhile, if I got upset. Severus had me working on focusing the stream of energy, instead of letting it fly out all around. There was even something like an earthquake."

Remus looked impressed and put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "But the power has leveled out to your normal abilities."

Harry sat down on the floor, putting his arms around his knees. "Remus, I don't know what my normal abilities should be. After this last summer, I just wanted to forget all about being a wizard at all. I wanted to …" He looked up with haunted eyes. "I wanted to die."

Remus crouched down beside Harry and then sat beside him as he thought about what to say. For quite a while, he simply let the words sink in. At last, he began to talk.

"When I was a boy, I knew I was a wizard from the time I could walk. My parents were proud of both my sister and me. We weren't rich, but we were far from poor. We were close as a family. On a trip to the mountains of France, I was bitten by the werewolf Greyback. He preyed on children, mostly killing them, but sometimes leaving them to become the monster he was."

Remus looked over at Harry and waited until he looked at him in return. "My family was devastated. When I realized what I was, I wanted to die." Harry's eyes widened in realization of the common ground they shared. "I even tried to make it happen."

Harry edged closer to Remus and leaned against him; maybe Remus understood better than anyone else what the hopelessness felt like, the sense that every effort was a waste of time. His voice was soft. "How could you stand it? What did you do to get over it?"

Remus put an arm around Harry's shoulders. "I didn't get over it. I learned to accept it. I can't change what I am. I can only work to be the best I can be in spite of it."

The silence was a comfortable one then, as Harry leaned into the man, thinking. Remus let him do as much thinking as he needed, not pressing. Harry finally stood up and held out his hand to pull Remus up. "If you can do that, maybe I can, too."

Remus met his eyes and saw the renewed determination there. "I know that you can. You're stronger than you realize." Then with a jerk of his head toward the corridors, "Let's run."

The boy took off down the dark halls, followed by the werewolf wearing a satisfied expression.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_**A/N:**_

_Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews! I love opening my mail and seeing your wonderful words!_

_I am feverishly working on the next chapters, and they are giving me great difficulty. I only say this as a warning that it might be longer than usual before the next post, unless a bright flash of creativity hits me! __**KimInSpirit**__ is helping with some of the spell work, so that's a relief! The next two chapters are pretty intense, at least for me. I hope that you will find the wait worth it!_

_I am also beginning work on The Kiss. If you read my one-shot, then you know that it begs to have a surrounding story. _

_Another one-shot is in the works, too. It's a romance/fluff piece and should be ready soon._

_Join the First(underscore)Prophecy Group at Yahoo! I covet your membership and your input for the stories!_

_Thank you to my beta, __**logicalquirk**__! She's the best!_


	30. Chapter 30

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 30

Ron and Hermione were bleary-eyed at breakfast, having been up way past curfew reading and writing down their findings. Across at the Slytherin table, Draco didn't look much better. For once, the blond hair was not perfectly in place as he sat there picking at the food on his plate. He looked up and Hermione was looking back, a question on her face. He knew she was asking if he had made any headway with his part of the research. He gave a barely perceptible nod and she returned it. They would take up where they had left off when they met in the Room of Requirement again.

For now, it was time to face the black bat in his lair for Potions. The entire class was silent as they waited for the door to open. When it did, they swallowed as a unit at the sight of the Potions Master. His face was set in hard lines, dark circles under the reddened eyes.

They took their seats in perfect silence. Snape drew his wand to put the instructions on the board. His voice was sharp and terse. "No talking. No disasters. Begin."

Only Draco and Hermione noticed the tremor in Snape's wand hand, and they only saw it because they were the only ones daring to look at the man at all. Everyone else kept their eyes well away from the glaring man, hoping to go unnoticed until the class was over.

Thankfully, no one boiled anything over, melted a cauldron, or caused an explosion. They all turned in their sample vials as silently as they had arrived, and left as quickly as they could.

Hermione, Ron and Draco remained in the room. Snape ignored them for several minutes, busy with grading essays with irate strokes of his red quill. The three stood looking at each other and finally, Hermione gave Draco a look that clearly said he should be the one to approach the teacher.

When Draco stood in front of the desk, Snape looked up with narrowed eyes. He stared at Draco and then over his head at Ron and Hermione. "Not your usual company, Mr. Malfoy. Is there a problem, or are you just intent on bringing yet more misery to an already wretched day?" The black eyes were shadowed and the features were almost gaunt as Snape sneered at the blond.

Draco stood taller and put his hands behind his back, more to keep from fidgeting than anything else, looking back at his Head of House intently. "Is there anything we might do to make your day less miserable, sir?"

Snape eyed him suspiciously and stood up. "Why would you think you could do anything to help me?" He was moving around the desk and stood in front of Draco before they realized he had moved. Looming over Draco, he seemed to grow larger until Draco was forced to step back. If the appearance if growing taller was an illusion, the shifting of something just under the surface of his face was not. For a few seconds, the skin was of a different texture, more leathery looking, as the shape of his face lengthened and took on some kind of animal. All three of the teenagers gaped with dropped jaws at the sight before them. Snape continued menacingly, "Would you have something to do with what's happening to me? Perhaps it's another asinine prank?" Hands were clenching and unclenching at his sides, claw-like, and they were very glad that his wand was not in one of them.

"N-no sir," Draco stammered, and then gathering his courage, asked, "Is something happening to you? Is that why you're so different?"

Snape made another threatening step towards Draco before suddenly drawing back. The shifting had gone back to a deathly pale, a glint of pain in his expression. Masking it quickly, he thundered, "Get out!" pointing at the door. "You know nothing about it. _Nothing_ is happening!"

This time his wand _was_ drawn and Draco lost no time in heading towards the door, Hermione and Ron following quickly after him. Without exchanging a word between them, they hurried straight to Dumbledore's office.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Remus and Harry had worked through the morning, finishing schoolwork so they could get quickly back to research. Remus had found that there were many books in the office of the Grey Lady and quite a few of them were on old pagan charms and spells. Harry apologized for having turned some of them to bread, back when he had first hidden himself away.

Remus tilted his head at him, "You transfigured books into something edible?"

At Harry's nod, he selected a book from the tall stack beside him and held it out. Harry took it and with a pass of his hand changed the book into a loaf. Remus turned it over in his hands, examining it, and then tore a piece off to sample. After swallowing, he grinned at Harry. "Not tasty, but still very much edible. This is level of transfiguration well beyond your years, Harry. Not many adult wizards can do it. If they could, they wouldn't have to work to feed their families. If I could do it, I'd be better able to help feed the clans without hunting. I'm impressed."

Harry shrugged, uncomfortable with the praise. He continued reading until the pages of the Gaelic spell book began to blur. He rubbed his eyes and Remus said, "Why don't you take a nap? You've been at that almost constantly."

"I have to find the right words. There has to be something here that will mean something to me."

"Harry, I am hoping that you will, too, but there is no guarantee of that … you know that don't you?" Remus asked gently.

Harry sighed and dropped his head back against the back of the settee. "I have to believe that there is a key. I can't give up."

"I won't ask you to. But for now, you need to rest. You didn't sleep well last night, did you?"

Harry looked over at him. "No. I was wishing I could become an Animagus, so I could be with you like my dad and Sirius used to."

Remus stood up and came over to him. "That means a lot that you would want to do that for me." He put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Tonight won't be so bad. The moon is waning now, but I tend to be pretty touchy, even when I don't change, during the first of the waning."

Harry sighed again. "I _am_ tired. I don't feel like I should be, but I am."

"Rest. A nap will do you good. You can work some more afterwards."

Harry reluctantly nodded, and Remus squeezed his shoulder before going back to the sofa to continue his own reading.

An hour had passed, and Remus looked up at Harry murmuring in his sleep. He turned over and Remus could see that his face was shiny with sweat, contorted in a fearful grimace. He walked back to the settee and sat quietly beside him.

The murmurings became words then, and Remus knew that Harry was facing the snake again, and the red eyes. He moved over and lay down behind the boy, putting his arms around him tightly. Low growls rumbled up his throat as he began to try and give what reassurance he could.

The dream had Harry in its grip …

_ …Nagini circled, her movements a counter sound to the hissing coming from her mouth._

_The owner of the red eyes glided forward, his expression triumphant. Harry thought that Voldemort was looking at him, but then he realized that he was gazing at someone else. He turned and stepped back when he saw Lucius Malfoy standing beside his Uncle Vernon. _

_The two wore satisfied smirks and Voldemort hissed, "It is done, then … the plan sset in motion?"_

_Malfoy kneeled at the hem of the drifting black robe and yanked Dursley down to kneel beside him. "Yes, my Lord. As you would wish, the curses have been set upon the traitor. Your plan to wreak the destruction of Hogwarts, along with capturing the Potter brat cannot possibly fail."_

"_My preciouss Luciuss…" A long-nailed finger trailed down the blond man's cheek. "I do hope, for your ssake, that you are right. Failure will be punished with dreadful agony."_

_Voldemort drifted away, Nagini winding more circles around his feet as he moved. Pausing, he glanced back at Malfoy. "You are fortunate that I did not punish you already, for not telling me of your capturing Severusss … tell me again what you did …"_

_Malfoy divulged the spells he had devised with all the glowing pride of a happy parent. Voldemort was particularly pleased with the discovery of the Deleo Coactu curse, and Malfoy's version of the Imperius, Tabhach Foircheadal._

"_I wish for you to add one more thing, my precious Lucius … A curse for Sseveruss himself. He must be punished for his betrayal … find me a curse that will change him from the inside … something inhuman, terrifying. If he survives the destruction of Hogwarts, I want him to suffer betrayal and denial by those he sought to stand beside."_

_Lucius nodded and then a smile of pure malice spread across his face, "My Lord, I know the perfect thing. There is mention in my books of an old Irish myth, the creature beithir béimneach. It is said to be a beast that is like a serpent and a bear. Would a curse causing the transformation of your betrayer into this creature please you?"_

_Voldemort bared teeth in a parody of a smile. "Indeed, my Lucius … Thiss would pleasse me very much …"_

_Dursley interrupted gruffly, "What about me? You promised me the boy and I've yet to set eyes on the little freak. When will I get him?"_

_Voldemort moved close to Dursley, staring directly into his eyes. "You are beneath my notice, Muggle. Lucius should gag your mouth." _

_Lucius hastened, "My deepest apology, my Lord. The Muggle hates Harry Potter as much as you. He has assisted me several ways to ensure__my information is correct."_

"_Hiss presence iss distasteful to me …"_

"_Once we have the boy, I will … send him on his way."_

_Dursley glowered__ "Not without me getting my hands on the freak, you won't."_

_Lucius soothed, "Not to worry, pet; you will get what you deserve."_

_Dursley rocked up and down on his toes, nodding in a contented way. "I better."_

_Lucius turned back to Voldemort as the Dark Lord waved a scaly hand. Before them, an image of Snape appeared. At a breathy incantation from Lucius, the form of Snape began to waver. As it shifted, the beast began to surface, large and horrifying. The mouth of the monster opened in a soundless roar … _

Harry jerked back against Remus's chest, arms straining against the hands that held them tightly to his chest. Remus managed to keep hold of them, even as Harry stretched them out in front. The wave of magic erupted, scattering debris all around the room in a whirlwind. Remus closed his eyes against the blast, knowing he was fortunate to be behind Harry and hanging on to him at that moment.

Harry was panting in the circle of Remus's arms and Remus pulled him even tighter, chin against his shoulder to make soft chuffing noises in his ear. Harry loosened a hand and reached back to tangle it in Remus's hair.

Harry whispered, "_Beithir béimneach _… that's what he is now …"

Remus went silent and rigid. "_What_?"

Harry swallowed audibly. "My dream … Mr. Malfoy and Voldemort … they know Severus is a traitor. They've cursed him to somehow destroy Hogwarts, and he will become … a monster … Malfoy called it _beithir béimneach …"_

Remus sat up abruptly, pulling Harry with him. "Can you stand? We have to go to Albus at once with this."

Harry swayed, but nodded his head anyway. Remus helped him up and then went to the bookcase to get a vial of Pepper Up Potion. The bookcase and its contents were widely scattered and Remus muttered a curse under his breath. To Harry, he said, "Come, we'll get you a potion when we get there."

He kept an arm around Harry and led him across the hall to his room and the fireplace. Taking Floo Powder from small container, he threw it into the hearth, yelling for Dumbledore's office.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Alone in his classroom, Snape let out a howl of pain. Something writhed inside him, twisting his guts into a knot of agony, tendons and bones stretching beyond possibility. Briefly able to open his eyes, he saw his hands, the nails lengthening into claws, the skin mottling beneath a growth of black fur. He fell to the floor on all fours, head lowered to the stones, another scream gurgling up through a lengthening throat. The contents of his stomach, little as it was, forced its way up, leaving him in a projectile rush. His mind worked to fathom what was happening, while simultaneously, the creature struggling to emerge felt the lessening of resistance and doubled its efforts to overcome the man it inhabited.

Snape saw darkness tunneling into his vision, heralding a loss of consciousness. Part of him welcomed it; part continued to struggle against what might happen if the creature within won … and then an absurd thought … '_Harry, help me!'_ … and then all was black.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

When Remus stepped through the fireplace into Dumbledore's office while supporting Harry, it was at the same moment that Draco, Ron and Hermione burst through the door. Everyone was talking at once and Dumbledore raised his voice. "Silence!"

They all stopped and looked at him. He took in Harry's appearance and strode back to the fireplace. Throwing in Floo Powder, he called Madame Pomfrey. When her head poked through, she saw Harry.

"I'll be there in a moment, Albus."

As she disappeared, he threw in more Powder and called Professor McGonagall.

Remus parked Harry in a chair, where he knelt on his knees to sit beside him, keeping an arm around his shoulders. Dumbledore conjured more chairs and everyone sat. Harry had their attention at the moment, with his pale face and Remus's obvious concern. When Pomfrey came through, she was carrying assorted vials. Lying them on the desk, she went to Harry and passed her wand over him several times. Stepping to the desk, she brought him two vials. Harry took one, but shook his head at the other.

"I can't sleep yet. I have to tell them my dream first."

They looked at him expectantly and he looked away from them all to look into the fire. As he quietly told them about what he had seen, the teens gave a collective shudder. He frowned, concentrating to remember any words and phrases that might give them all clues to aid in searching for the curses and spells used.

When he finished, he looked around the room, expecting them to discount it all as fantasy or a harmless nightmare. Instead, he saw that they believed. Draco, Ron, and Hermione were nodding. Draco said, "We saw it. In the classroom; we had stopped to see if he was alright; he looked ready to come apart in class. He got angry at us for asking, and we could see something inside him, like it was trying to get out. It was very brief, and then gone."

Harry had already been trembling; the Calming Draught not effecting him very much. Now his tremors grew. Remus stood up and without hesitation pulled Harry up against him. Harry's hands fisted in his robes, needing to have the man close. He whispered in desperation, "It has him … now what? Now what do I do? He's calling me to help him …"

Dumbledore stepped towards, them putting a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder. "He's remembering you, Harry? Calling through the link?"

Harry took a few deep breaths and stepped away from Remus, who let go of him only after seeing Harry nod that he was better now.

He looked at the Headmaster and shook his head. "He's not really aware of the link … I think I'm just hearing a small part of him, and that's a part he doesn't remember. I can feel that his pain is growing, and there's another presence in him … it's evil, but in a different way …"

Remus spoke up. "In a wild sort of way, like an animal?"

Harry looked at him in surprise, and then agreed, "Yes, that's it exactly."

Remus took Harry by the shoulders and pushed him gently back into the chair. Running his hand through his hair, Remus said, "The monster Harry spoke of, what Lucius called the _beithir béimneach, _is an early Scots myth. It's said to be a wild beast that may be part serpent, part bear. Called up as a curse upon an enemy, it torments the person by the disparity of the animal forms fighting for dominance in the body. It is said to have tremendous strength, and once set upon a path of destruction, it's unstoppable by human means."

Dumbledore looked troubled by this, and asked, "Human, meaning Muggle means, or also magic used by wizards?"

Remus shook his head. "The legend doesn't specify … it was a Muggle legend, so perhaps there are magical ways of stopping it."

Harry suddenly stood up. "Do you mean kill him? You can't mean that, because I won't let that happen. There has to be a way to get rid of the beast and still get Severus away safely."

The room was silent for a long moment, and then Hermione came up to her friend. "We will work even harder to find a way. Now that we know the name of the beast, and the words that Malfoy may have used for his curses and spells, we'll find the answers."

The rest of their discussion centered around exchanging what each group had discovered about Gaelic curses and countercurses. Hermione and Draco had decided that there would have to be several countercurses for each curse Malfoy developed. There was no way to be certain the exact words or phrases Lucius might have used, so it would be necessary to try and cover as many possibilities as they could.

Later, Madame Pomfrey pressed the Sleeping Potion into Remus's hand and said, "Harry needs real sleep now. Take him back and see that he rests quietly."

Remus gave a grimace. "I'll have to set his room to rights first. We had a bit of magical explosion with his dream."

Dumbledore heard this and called for Dobby. A few quiet comments later, he said, "The room will be ready when you go back. Dobby is seeing to it."

Remus gave him a smile of gratitude. "I should have thought of that. Being right there when it happened was a little disconcerting."

Madame Pomfrey asked, "Do you need more potions?"

They turned to discuss what might need replacing, and Hermione went to Harry.

"Are you alright, Harry?" She put a hand on his.

He gave her a weak smile. "Knowing you all are working on this too helps. I'm glad you're getting along," he added, looking from Ron to Draco.

Ron rolled his eyes. "It's only out of necessity, mate."

Draco narrowed his eyes but didn't dispute that. He only said, "Severus is my godfather. My own father will likely kill me as look at me when he discovers my change of allegiance. If he put this curse upon Severus as a punishment for being a traitor, then he could very well decide I'm next. At any rate, Severus is my family. I'll do whatever it takes to get him back."

Harry gave him a grateful look. Now that he had told them all about the dream and they knew as much as he did about what was happening, he felt less burdened by it. For once, he didn't feel as if he were in the fight alone, that it wasn't solely up to him to win the day. This time, it wasn't just Voldemort who was the one creating disaster, but Malfoy Sr. as well.

He didn't think that he would be able to sleep again, after the nightmare earlier. But Remus insisted that he take the Sleeping Potion when they returned to their rooms. As he began to drift to sleep, Harry reached out and caught Remus's hand.

"Will you be here? Or do you have to be locked up tonight?"

Remus sat beside him on the settee and placed Prongs in the crook of his arm. "Normally, I would say that I should be locked up. But you have all my protective instincts fired up. With that, and the waning of the full moon, I believe I'll be alright to be here beside you."

Harry smiled briefly as his eyes closed.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

**A/N:**

_Translations:_

_beithir béimneach_a serpent, any wild beast, monster, a huge skate, Irish _beithir_, wild beast, bear, Early Irish, and the _beithir_ or _beithir béimneach_ is famed in myth.

_Tabhach foircheadal__: Gaelic; I compel, knowledge_

My Gaelic/Celtic/old Irish words used in this fic are derived and borrowed from the McBain's Dictionary at

undying thanks to **KimInSpirit**, for helping put together the spells here and in the next chapters.

Any mistakes are because we do not know the language and we am using the dictionary as a source to create the creature, spells, and curses for this fic.

My beta reader is the fabulous **logicalquirk,** and I thank her for her perseverance through the reading and editing of my chapters.

Last but not least, many thanks to everyone reading and reviewing and joining the First(underscore)Prophecy Yahoo Group! Hugs and treats to everyone!

I do not claim ownership of any of these characters, etc. Everything belongs to JKRowling et al.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

The next week was spent in hurrying through classes and homework, everyone anxious to get as much time spent on the spells as possible.

In the Room of Requirement, Ron and Hermione would meet with Draco and after many times of compiling and comparing notes, they had come up with what they felt were reasonable counter spells to the Imperius that Malfoy might have used on Snape. Each of them would memorize a specific wording and wand movement. If one of them didn't work alone, perhaps all of them together might be effective.

Draco had decided that the most likely Imperius would be_Tabhach__ Euros__ Foircheadal._ His counter spell would be_ Teasairg adiuvo ros. _Ron would use _Emendo tabhach fùrlaich._

Hermione would use a spell to counter another focus and bind the three of their counters into a more formidable power. Her spell would be _Trinitas teanacadh eolas gais, _and was by far the most difficult of theirs to master.

Remus had developed a counter to the Deleo Coactu. Being a very strong curse, it would require the efforts of several adult wizards to attempt to reverse the erasure of his memories. Dumbledore and McGonagall would join Remus in casting it, combining their powers in another trinity to achieve the best outcome.

As for the monster, the fear was that it was becoming stronger as time passed. Dumbledore was of the opinion that if it were possible to destroy it without killing Snape, it would have to be done by Harry. Even thought Dumbledore thought of Snape as though he was a son, it was Harry who was now in the position of needing him the most. It was Harry who had the purity of heart and love to win Snape back from the curse. Harry began to ignore the homework and spend endless time with the Gaelic Book of Spells, scribbling out words and phrases, thrusting them towards Remus for clarification and then bending back over them again.

At one point, Remus looked up when he heard Harry begin to breathe with hitching pants. He went to sit beside him and felt the air was warmer in his immediate area. He put a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry was hunched over the mass of parchment in front of him, holding his head in his hands.

"_Craidhteach_ _beithir béimneach_ …" he whispered, struggling with the pronunciation of the words.

Remus tightened his grip on Harry's shoulder. "Harry, where did you hear that?"

Harry rocked himself, a pained grimace on his face. "Severus is dreaming…the words are coming to him in his dreams… he can't occlude and shut me out anymore. The beast is in pain…"

Remus put both arms around the boy and Harry leaned into him gratefully. Remus whispered back, "You have to occlude, Harry. Shut out the pain he's feeling."

Harry shook his head, "I can't…how can I abandon him like that? He's already alone with the monster."

Remus hugged tighter. "You're not abandoning him. You're working to find the way to help him; we all are. But you can't if you let your mind be linked to his like this."

"But he's hurting so much … if I could reach him, maybe I could heal it by touching him."

Remus gritted his teeth. "Absolutely not. You must have no physical contact with him. He could be Imperiused to kill you on sight."

"He wouldn't …"

"He _would_!" He gripped Harry's arms and turned him around so that they were facing each other, looking into each others' eyes. Remus's were golden, fire glinting within. "You have to know that. Right now, he is not under his own control. The beast within him is a tortured one. He is like an animal that is crazed with pain. You have to let go so that you aren't consumed with it too."

Harry's eyes were filled with the pain he was feeling from Snape and the pain of believing he was abandoning someone he cared deeply for. Remus pulled in him close again, holding Harry's head against his chest. "Occlude, Harry. Do it now."

Harry wept into Remus's shoulder, holding onto him. Remus swayed from front to back, rocking the boy, murmuring soft purring growls in his ear. After a few moments, Remus turned Harry so that he could see the labyrinth tapestry. Harry still cried, even as he began to close the tie in his mind to Snape's agony.

When it was done, he pulled away from Remus and bent back over the book and parchment, desperate determination in his face as he silently continued working.

Remus gave him a last brief hug before returning to his own work. He was very worried about Harry; that he would give in to the impulse to try and reach Snape. As soon as Harry slept, he would call Dobby. They must be even more careful to guard him well.

Remus would drag Harry away from the work to run through the corridors. He sensed that pent up frustration needed some kind of outlet and the physical release of running and dueling were good for him. He forced Harry to 'see' and 'hear' with his other senses in the near total darkness of the halls. Harry worked through several panic attacks in the darkness, not knowing where Remus was. Each time, it seemed he recovered more quickly.

Stopping in an old classroom, Remus took up a dueling stance. Harry answered in kind.

Remus ordered, "Give me your best offensive efforts."

Harry began to throw hexes and jinxes, varying his angle and word inflection each time. He was surprised to find himself able to cast with both his wand and the left hand as well. It had been a few weeks since he had been able to cast wandlessly.

Remus deflected most of the spells since Harry was distracted by having a return of his greater power. "You're not trying, Harry," he scolded.

"What if it gets loose again? I don't want to hurt you."

Remus stopped and rested his hands on his knees to catch his breath. "Fair enough. Tell me again how you were practicing without harming Severus"

Harry lowered his wand and turned away. Remus waited patiently for him to move past the unexpected hearing of Snape's name. Finally, Harry turned back to Remus, his face composed and calm. "He didn't duel me alone. Draco helped, and with two of them, I didn't worry so much. When the magic got too large, he had me focus on an object to let the magic target."

Remus looked around the room and pointed to the column in the corner. "That's your focal point then. Let's go again."

He forced Harry to assume a defensive posture by immediately sending a stream of hexes at him. "Don't just defend yourself. Seek out the weaknesses of your opponent and attack them." There was a fierce light in the werewolf's eyes as he challenged Harry. "Put all your senses to work."

Harry could feel the build up of magic as they fought. At first he tried to force it back, fearing the outcome. Then he began to feel the things Remus was trying to convey. He watched the way he worked his wand arm, and saw the pattern there. He saw the order in which the hexes were cast at him. By listening, he could hear Remus breathe as they dueled.

In his mind, he thought of Malfoy Sr. and what he had done to Severus. He thought of the pain the man was enduring. He thought of what he had lost when Severus forgot about their link. The heat of magic continued to build up and Harry welcomed it now. He could use this to defeat Lucius Malfoy, to avenge his treatment of Severus. The heat intensified until Harry felt like he was literally on fire from within. He was dueling Remus, but he was seeing the blond man. He was throwing hexes at Remus now and meeting the target every time, stopped only because Remus was only shielding now; accepting all the offensive maneuvers Harry threw at him. Harry felt the imminent explosion and yelled, "Get down!"

Remus dove to the floor as Harry turned and leveled his wand and hands at the column. Thunder shook the room and a shock wave radiated out of the outstretched hands.

Bits of stone rained down on them after the column exploded into shards.

In the quiet afterwards, Harry dropped to his knees, panting. Remus got up from where he lay covering his head with his arms. He sank down to sit beside Harry. Harry looked at him, eyes alight. "My hot magic is back."

Remus shook his head. "It was never gone. I think it's cycling, much like my cycles of change."

Harry looked surprised. "But you change at the full moon. Isn't that when the moon causes things to happen?"

"You paid less attention than your dad did in Astronomy." Remus rolled his eyes. "All the phases of the moon can cause different things to be more powerful or change more readily. The full moon is what happens to cause a werewolf to emerge. I believe your trigger may be the new moon. It's entering that phase now. It will be completely dark on Halloween."

Harry frowned as he absorbed what Remus said. "Then my magic will be at its best at that time?"

"I had planned to test that theory then."

"We can still test it …"

"It looks like Malfoy has plans to set in motion on that night. The Board of Governors is underwriting the Masked Ball. If Malfoy is coming it will be to make sure the beast fully emerges. Whatever else he has planned will most likely coincide with that."

Harry pulled his knees up to his chest and hugged them with his arms. "I wasn't going to the Ball. It's a party and I wasn't going to celebrate … there's nothing _to_ celebrate for me."

Remus reached out and put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Of course not. But it is a battle that we _must_ fight. Think of it that way. You need to be prepared with your part of the spells." He waited until Harry nodded. "Do you want to go over it again?"

Harry nodded and they sat there, Harry repeating the words of the Gaelic-Latin counter curse he had learned.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Lucius Malfoy stood before his mirror, inspecting the effect of his costume. Beside and behind him, Vernon Dursley grumbled.

"I've been more than patient. I want the boy. I want his money. I want it now."

Malfoy sighed. "You really are becoming irksome, Dursley. I told you; if everything goes to plan, you will have your toy back by the morning after Halloween. He will be here, and after the Dark Lord gives final approval, we will make him into your most obedient nephew. He won't recall anything other than his desire to serve you in any way you wish. Anything he has will be yours."

"So, you'll give him the same kind of spell you put on that Snape bastard?"

"Exactly," He regarded Dursley curiously. "For someone who had such a severe aversion to anything magic, you've certainly changed."

Dursley harrumphed, his large mustache bristling. "Untold amounts of gold might have something to do with it."

"Yes, I believe it might at that." Malfoy turned away from the disgustingly obese man and back to the mirror. He was more than pleased with how he looked. It would be an evening that lived in the memory of generations. How he appeared was important.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Ron and Hermione were in the corner of the common room, their whispering conversation being ignored by almost everyone else.

"You're certain you have it down, Ron?"

"Yeah, I've got it. I know it frontwards and backwards. What about Malfoy?"

"Draco? I believe he's with us. I know you don't completely believe it, and I can't prove it, but I just know he's with us."

"And if you're wrong?"

She stared across the room for a few moments. "If he looks like he's on the side of his father, if either of us sees that, we'll stun him. If his father is counting on his help, we have to make sure he doesn't get it."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

McGonagall and Dumbledore fitted their masks, neither of them feeling the least bit like a party. Turning to each other, they found that words were not necessary to convey the deep sense of foreboding they both felt. With one last adjustment to his robe and mask, Dumbledore opened the door and followed McGonagall out.

In the distance, the first strains of music could be heard. Dumbledore stopped and cocked his head, listening.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Remus smoothed the velvet cloak over Harry's shoulders. He had conjured a mirror and he was standing behind Harry as they put on their masks. They were matching, fully covering their faces. Real fur, streaked with threads of gold and silver, covered masks that were designed to look like a wolf. Their black velvet cloaks draped over them softly.

Remus looked at the green eyes peering through the smaller mask. "Harry, it's time. Ready?"

"No. Can we just stand away from everyone and watch?"

"We'll see where it looks like we will have an advantage. I want you by my side every minute. I do not want you to approach Severus or Malfoy alone."

Harry nodded. His feelings were so mixed at that moment. He wanted this whole ordeal to be over. But he didn't want to go to the ball. He dreaded seeing Severus with his own eyes, and yet, he was anxious to face him to see if being face-to-face caused him to remember the relationship they had.

He followed Remus to the fireplace in his room, where they Flooed to the Infirmary. Madame Pomfrey gave Harry a little wave from her office and he returned it. When they left, she frowned. Somehow, she felt that she would be seeing someone here in the Infirmary before the night was over. She hoped it would not be Harry.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Ron and Hermione made their way down the staircase to the entry hall in front of the Great Hall. From inside, they could hear the sounds of an orchestra tuning up. Hermione looked around. "Do you see Harry or Remus?"

"It's kind of hard to see through the masks 'Mione," Ron answered shortly. He was still miffed that they were wearing masks that looked like characters from the musical Lion King. It would have been alright if he could've been Simba or Scar, but he was Rafiki and Hermione was Zazu. The choice characters had already been taken by some of the Slytherins.

Joining them in the foyer were students wearing masks from other plays, musicals, and masks of characters from legends of magic and myth. There were animals of every kind, from the simple to the very elaborately furred and feathered.

The doors opened and the students eagerly flooded into the room. There were many 'ohs' and 'ahs' at the changes that the Hall had undergone for the evening. The orchestra was on the raised area in which the head table usually sat. Another raised stage area now stood at the side. Professor Flitwick was on this, beckoning them in. A huge crystal chandelier hung from the enchanted ceiling. Thousands of tiny fairies fluttered everywhere, looking like fireflies. Gold and silver draperies were hanging from the walls, draped and billowing. Gold and silver covered round tables were arranged around the edges of a dance floor. The effect was one of richness and pageantry.

"Come in! Come in! The evening is about to begin! Enjoy the music from every corner of the world, both magic and Muggle! Try to guess who is behind all the masks you see! The unveiling will be at midnight!"

The orchestra immediately began the music of _Masquerade_ from the Phantom of the Opera. Unseen voices sang the lyrics:

_Masquerade!   
Paper faces on parade . . .  
Masquerade! Hide your face,  
so the world will never find you!_

Masquerade!  
Every face a different shade . . .  
Masquerade!  
Look around - there's another mask behind you!

Flash of mauve . .. Splash of puce . . .  
Fool and king . . . Ghoul and goose . . .  
Green and black . . . Queen and priest . . .  
Trace of rouge . . . Face of beast . . .

Faces . . . Take your turn, take a ride  
on the merry-go-round . . . in an inhuman race . . .

Eye of gold . . . Thigh of blue . . .  
True is false . . . Who is who . . . ?   
Curl of lip . . . Swirl of gown . . .  
Ace of hearts . . . Face of clown . . .

Faces . . . Drink it in, drink it up,   
till you've drowned in the light . . .  
in the sound . . . 

Masquerade!  
Grinning yellows, spinning reds . . .   
Masquerade!  
Take your fill - let the spectacle astound you! 

Masquerade!  
Burning glances, turning heads . . .   
Masquerade!  
Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you! 

Masquerade!  
Seething shadows breathing lies . . .   
Masquerade!  
You can fool any friend who ever knew you! 

Masquerade!  
Leering satyrs, peering eyes . . .   
Masquerade!  
Run and hide - but a face will still pursue you!

Hermione leaned towards Ron, "I hope that's the only song they do from The Phantom. Do you think Harry is still affected by the music like he was last year?"

"I don't know. If he's not here yet, maybe we should try to warn him, just in case."

She nodded and they began to make their way around the room's perimeter, hoping that they would be able to tell if they found Harry and Remus.

OoOoOoO

Harry and Remus entered the Great Hall and paused. The musicians were ghostly apparitions, playing instruments that were made of vapor. They would play without ceasing once they had started, not requiring a break. Harry looked at this oddity with interest. He had seen a ghostly band when he had once gone to Nearly headless Nick's birthday party, but he had not imagined that ghosts might be used for an event such as this. They tuned up just as live musicians would, preparing their sheets of music for the evening. Professor Flitwick made his announcement and they immediately began the Masquerade number. Harry stiffened beside Remus, and the man sensed his nervousness.

"Harry?"

"That music- it's from The Phantom of the Opera. When Ron, Hermione and I went to see it with Hermione's parents last Spring, I didn't do so well. If Severus hadn't been there, I think I would have gone mad."

Remus put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "How are you feeling now? Is it having the same effect?"

"I don't think so … I think I'm just remembering how it made me feel then." He stood there, letting the music wash over him. Of course, this wasn't one of the songs whose lyrics sent him into panic, either. "Maybe this will be the only song from that musical. It will be okay."

Remus felt him take a deep breath and saw him nod. He squeezed Harry's shoulder and then said, "Remember to stay by me. If we see Severus, remember not to approach him alone."

Harry nodded. "Ron, Hermione and Draco go first with their spells; then you and Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall. I will be last. I remember."

They made their way to the buffet tables set up along one wall. It was laden with all the foods of the Halloween Feast and more. Harry took a plate and selected a few things before moving off to the chairs set up around a round table. Remus followed and they sat down. A few moments later two people sat down with them. Harry tried not to laugh, not knowing who it was behind the animated parrot and baboon masks. With a huge groan of frustration the baboon mask was ripped off by its owner. Ron sat there red faced, while the parrot reached out and gave him a hard punch in the arm.

"Thanks a lot, Ron. I wanted them to guess who we were first."

"Sorry, 'Mione. It's hot and itchy. Now that it's off, can I leave it?"

At the angry eyes peering at him through the holes of the parrots face, he quickly put his mask back in place.

Harry had to laugh then. It was just too funny to see Hermione glaring out from behind the mask of an animated parrot and Ron looking sheepish behind the mask of the baboon.

Remus looked at Harry in surprise and suddenly realized that this was the first time he had heard Harry laugh since he had been back here. He laughed with Harry, knowing how rare a moment of joy this was for him. Ron and Hermione seemed to understand this too and they went from being irritated with each other to joining in with the laughter.

Things were more relaxed after that and they sat talking and listening to the music, trying to guess who was behind the masks. As it drew closer to midnight, Harry found himself beginning to tense up again. When he grew quiet, Remus leaned over,

"It will be over soon. Just stay with me."

Harry nodded as he scanned the room from behind his mask. Remus saw him stop and his eyes widen. Looking in the direction Harry was looking, he saw a tall figure in black across the room near the stage. The mask was of a black bear, teeth bared behind drawn back lips. Remus knew, just as Harry did, that it was Snape. The black eyes were familiar, and yet, there was something more behind them. Glints of light flashed periodically in the blackness.

Harry whispered, "The beast is here. He's awake."

At that moment, another figure appeared up on the stage. This one was dressed in black too. Harry stood up, toppling his chair. The figure wore the mask of the Phantom of the Opera. The similarity to Death Eater masks struck Remus immediately and he understood why the musical may have affected Harry so strongly. From the long white hair lying over the shoulders, they knew this one was Lucius Malfoy. He saw Harry look at him and he began to smile. At a wave of his hand the music was silenced.

His voice had been charmed with _Sonorous_ to carry over the Hall as he spoke. "Good evening to you all. I do hope that you've enjoyed this special evening of entertainment. The grand finale is about to begin. At the stroke of midnight, remove your masks."

The school clock began to chime, the bell resounding throughout the halls. The mass of the student body stood in cheerful anticipation. The few who knew better put their hands to their wands in dreaded anticipation.

Harry kept his eyes on Snape. The man behind the bear mask kept his strangely glinting ones on Harry. Everyone in the room was standing now, and Remus moved closer to Harry.

As the chimes sounded, Dumbledore and McGonagall appeared beside the group. Their wands were drawn and they too, were focused on the two men in black. At the sound of the last chime, there was silence in the Great Hall.

Malfoy waved the hand holding his snake-headed cane, "_Leadan affero sgrathail_," towards Snape. Then he waved it over the silent orchestra. Music began to play, the discordant organ sounds from the Phantom of the Opera:

_In sleep he sang to me,  
in dreams he came ...  
that voice which calls to me and speaks my name ..._

And do  
I dream again?   
For now  
I find the Phantom of the Opera is there - inside my mind ...

Sing once again with me our strange duet ...  
My power over you grows stronger yet ...

And though you turn from me,  
to glance behind,  
the Phantom of the Opera is there - inside your mind ...

Those who have seen your face draw back in fear ...  
I am the mask you wear ...

It's me they hear ...

Your spirit and my voice in one  
combined: the Phantom of the Opera  
is there - inside your mind ...

He's there,  
the Phantom of the Opera ...  
Beware the Phantom of the Opera ...

In all your fantasies,  
you always knew that man and mystery ...

... were both in you ...

And in this labyrinth where night is blind,  
the Phantom of the Opera is there - inside your mind ...

Snape fell to his knees, hands pressed to the sides of his head. The room watched as he appeared to grow before their eyes, body lengthening, shoulders widening. Hands against his head transformed into massive clawed paws and ripped the mask away. The creature behind roared in anger or agony; it was impossible to tell which.

Screams from the students broke Harry's fixation and he glanced around as Dumbledore bellowed to the teachers in the room, "Move the students out! Everyone to your houses immediately!"

Teachers and prefects herded hysterical students away from the end of the Hall where Snape continued his metamorphosis and Lucius Malfoy stood smiling. Malfoy's eyes were alight with madness and he shouted to Dumbledore, "You cannot stop the creature, old man! He is mine to control! I created him to take over the traitor and he will destroy Hogwarts!"

Dumbledore began to fling hexes at Malfoy and it distracted him from Snape. Everyone had torn off their masks by then.

McGonagall shouted to Ron and Hermione, "Now! Cast your counterspells now!"

Hermione flung out her arm, screaming the spell she had learned. Ron stood beside her and they both cast together and then separately, repeating the Latin bound Gaelic words over and over. Their different spells were supposed to work together to reverse the Imperius that Snape was under. They needed the third one from Draco to complete their trinity.

Dumbledore and McGonagall began casting their countercurses to reverse the _Deleo Coactu_. Remus added his to the beams of light flashing from their wands to hit Snape.

The creature did not appear to be affected by any of their efforts. It continued to grow larger, the head almost completely like that of a bear. The spells must have stung, because the creature shook its head in rage, frothy saliva of madness spraying in all directions from the roaring mouth. His eyes were red and the huge paws swiped at the air when the spells whizzed past.

When the creature began moving towards them, they saw that the lower portion of Snape's body had morphed into that of a gigantic serpent. The end of the whipping tail had a stinger like that of a scorpion.

The music was deafening now, the singers voicing all the fears that Harry had felt when he heard the words before;

_Night-time sharpens, heightens each sensation ...  
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination ...  
Silently the senses abandon their defences ...   
Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendour ...  
Grasp it, sense it - tremulous and tender ..._

_  
Turn your face away from the garish light of day,  
turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light -  
and listen to the music of the night ..._

Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams!  
Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before!  
Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar!  
And you'll live as you've never lived before ...

Malfoy watched Harry as the boy clapped his hands over his own ears, trying to stop hearing the words. As he looked, he saw his son come up behind Harry. Thinking that Draco was about to get his own shot at his arch rival, Lucius threw his head back and laughed. When he looked up again, Draco was casting his own countercurse at Snape and had hustled Harry down to the floor. He had forced Harry behind some overturned tables and Lucius snarled in rage at his son.

Remus yelled at Dumbledore, "The beast is too strong for our spells to penetrate! He must be weakened! Let me fight him as a werewolf!"

Dumbledore looked at Remus sharply for only a moment before nodding. Pointing his wand at the crystal chandelier overhead, he shouted, "_Plenus Luna_!"

The chandelier instantly folded in on itself, rounding out and solidifying into a suspended replica of a full moon. Remus began to transform into a werewolf, although the change was incomplete because of the unreal moon as a catalyst. This permitted him to retain his own mind and he was intent on bringing the _Beithir beimneach_ to a weakened enough state for the countercurses to be effective.

The werewolf leapt onto the beast and they were roaring and clawing, each wild creature now exclusively focused on the other. They wounded each other with teeth and claws as they wrestled across the floor. The others gaped in horrified fascination, watching as Remus fought to subdue the beast that was Snape.

Harry had let Draco lead him away from the fray and now they sat partially concealed. Harry was still trying to shut out the music as it filled his mind. Lucius had been pleased to discover from his questioning of Snape that Harry had been so adversely affected by the opera. He waved his cane and the music changed again.

_I have brought you,  
that our passions may fuse and merge -  
in your mind you've already succumbed to me  
dropped all defenses completely succumbed to me -  
now you are here with me: no second thoughts,  
you've decided, decided ..._

Past the point of no return -  
no backward glances:  
the games we've played till now are at an end ...  
Past all thought of "if" or "when" -  
no use resisting: abandon thought, and let the dream descend ...

What raging fire shall flood the soul?   
What rich desire unlocks its door?  
What sweet seduction lies before us ...?

Harry felt heat building up inside him as he fought to shut out the words. He was panting with effort, panting with panic, panting with fear and feelings of helplessness. Opening his eyes, he saw that Lucius had found them and now stood over the place where Draco had tried to hide them. The father reached out and viciously struck Draco across the face with the cane, knocking him unconscious and leaving a bloody welt on his temple. Harry's eyes suddenly blazed with furious intensity. He was on fire from within and he threw out his hands and wand towards the blond wizard. Lucius laughed in Harry's face, just as thunder shook the entire room and lightening surged out of Harry's hands to hit him, throwing him across the room.

The phantom mask had flown off and landed in front of Harry. He felt emptied by the magic that had left him. For a moment, he knew pride at having focused the magic completely onto Lucius. No one else had been hurt. He gazed across the room to where Lucius lay unconscious or dead. He hoped he was dead.

He stood up, his attention back on the fighting creatures. As he started back towards them, he bent and picked up the mask. Everything swirled around him as he was transported by the portkey away from Hogwarts.

**A/N: **

_**All lyrics to Phantom of the Opera belong to Andrew Lloyd Weber et al and any productions thereof. **_

_**Translations**__- (remember that these are pretty loose translations based on words found in online dictionaries and word lists for Latin and Gaelic)_

_Leadan affero sgrathail__: Gaelic and Latin-music bringing about destruction_

_Plenus Luna__: Latin-full moon_

_Tabhach__ Euros__ Foircheadal__….Gaelic; I compel, negative knowledge_

_Teasairg adiuvo ros__: Gaelic and Latin- deliver, help, knowledge_

_Emendo tabhach fùrlaich__: Gaelic and Latin- Amend, compulsion, hate, fury, treachery. _

_Trinitas teanacadh eolas gais__: Gaelic and Latin- trinity, deliverance, knowledge and wisdom_

_I decided to only describe a few of the spells. It would have become very tedious for you, the reader, to wade through many of them! I wanted you to have a small taste of what they must have gone through to decipher the curses and develop the counterspells and curses. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to __**KimInSpirit**__ for helping me with the spells I decided on. The idea of there being more power in the use of three, forming a trinity, was hers!_

_As always, __**logicalquirk**__, my fantabulous beta, rescued me from forgetting some canon points, like Harry having already seen a ghostly band at Nicks party! Thanks, Lauren!_

_This is a long chapter, in part due to these notes. I know I left it in a cliffie, but the next chapter is almost ready! I hope to be able to write while school is out (I'm a teaching assistant and I get the summer off with my kids!) but our summer is pretty busy and I may not be able to write or post as often as I would like. I will not abandon the story, so don't fret too much if the interval seems to drag out after this post!_

_Hugs to you all! Reviews are appreciated! Have a great summer, everyone!_


	32. Chapter 32

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

_**A/N:**__ Warning---this chapter has elements of child abuse and may be disturbing._

Chapter 32

Harry found himself in a crumpled heap when the portkey dropped him. He lay there dizzily, trying to get his bearings. He felt the stone floor beneath his fingers. It was cold and damp, so he thought that he must be underground. But where?

He was exhausted from using his hot magic and his head had begun to throb. In this place of sudden quiet, he could hear his heart as it pounded inside his skull. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes. The stone floor and walls were unfamiliar; it wasn't the dungeons of Hogwarts. The room was large and Harry was up against one wall. There were sets of chains and shackles attaching him loosely to the wall, as he found when he lifted a hand to rub his head.

"Well, well, well … a little ahead of schedule, are we, freak?"

Harry froze at the voice that came from across the room. He looked up to see a figure emerging from the shadows. Uncle Vernon came towards him until he loomed over him, grinning down from his morbidly obese face.

Scrambling backwards did nothing but bring Harry up against the wall he was already chained to. He must be in the Malfoy dungeons. In his dreams, Uncle Vernon had been with the blond wizard. Harry cringed as Uncle Vernon drew closer, all thoughts of magical defense gone from his head. There had been too many years of fear and abuse, too many times being told that magic was bad, too many scenes of being tortured for accidental magic. Harry was as helpless as he had ever been in the face of this Muggle monster. The scared little boy in his mind whispered, "Someone come, Severus come, Remus come, someone come…" over and over like a mantra.

Dursley advanced and his face was twisted with all the malice Harry remembered from before. There was promise of pain, of physical and mental humiliation. The first cruel blow shattered Harry.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Remus tore into the creature, taking him down to the floor with the force of a leap onto its back. The creature howled in pain as the werewolf sank teeth into its shoulder. In the depths of his mind, Remus prayed that the creature would absorb the transference of the werewolf curse, and that it would be gone when the creature was destroyed, freeing Snape. If not, then they would have another werewolf to deal with in the Order.

Remus could feel the beast weakening. He avoided the whipping tail and stinger by mere inches as it thrashed. Remus had the added advantage of being familiar with his own beast, whereas it was all new to Snape.

He jumped back from the creature to see how it was faring. It was pushing itself upright again, trying to balance on the coiled tail. Taking a deep breath, Remus launched himself at it again. This time, the beast was less coordinated with its attack on the werewolf.

Dumbledore shouted for everyone to fire their countercurses again. Beams of light shot towards the beast from all the wands. It gave a huge shudder under the assault. Giving a bellowing groan of rage, it lay on the floor under the attack that continued as they all gathered closer around it. With a last, drawn-out cry, it settled down to curl in on itself on the floor.

Dumbledore pointed his wand at the false moon and it change back to a crystal chandelier. Remus wrapped his arms around himself as he made the transformation back to fully human. He felt an exhaustion that threatened to leave him unable to take another step; but he had to go on and help Harry get through his part.

He looked around the room and found that it was empty of everyone except the ones casting spells at the beast. Draco and Lucius Malfoy were lying unconscious at opposite ends of the room. Remus quickly looked around again before calling out, "Harry! Where are you?"

At his shout, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at each other. McGonagall climbed to the highest stage and surveyed the room. She shook her head as Ron and Hermione began to search through overturned tables and chairs, calling Harry's name.

As they got to Draco, he stirred, moaning, "Harry?"

Ron stormed over to him and drew him up by the front of his robes. "Do you know where he is? You did something, didn't you?"

Hermione pulled on Ron's arm to get him to let go. "Stop it, Ron! Let him have a chance to speak!"

Draco sat back down on the floor, hard, when Ron released him. He touched the oozing welt at his temple and winced. Looking across the room, he saw his father lying under the watchful eye of Professor Flitwick. Lucius was still unconscious.

Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Remus had come to stand in front of Draco. Draco looked at them and shook his head. "I didn't do anything. I was trying to get Harry under cover and my father was suddenly right in front of us. He hit me and I don't know what happened after that." He looked around at where he sat. "We were here, though. My father is way over there, so Harry must have done something … maybe he's weak, like he's been before, when he fires off a hot spell. Maybe he left the Hall?"

Dumbledore closed his eyes and bent his head in concentration. Dobby popped into view, shaking at the disarray of the Hall. Dumbledore looked down at him. "The castle tells me Harry is not within her walls. Can you hear him, Dobby?"

Dobby cocked his head, eyes looking towards the ceiling. He shook his head. "Dobby is not hearing anything from Harry Potter sir. There is nothing."

Remus looked over at the still form of the _beithir béimneach. _Once it had been hit with a barrage of their combined spells, it had quieted. Black eyes looked at them from the great bear's head as it rested its chin atop a coiled snake body. Remus knelt down and placed a hand on the head. "Severus? Do you understand me?"

The bear raised its head and one lip curled back slightly, baring sharp fangs. A low growl rumbled up from its throat.

Remus gave the head a long stroke and said softly, "Listen carefully; you were cursed by Lucius. You were Obliviated and Imperiused." He paused, keeping golden eyes locked with the bear's black ones. The creature gave a soft sigh and laid its head down again. Remus continued. "I believe that you are now back in your right mind. We all worked as teams to cast the spells and countercurses we believed would reverse those two curses."

The creature turned its head to look at its own body and then turned back to Remus. Remus scratched the creature behind its ears, earning a threatening growl and an impatient tossing of its head.

"Harry has the countercurse for the one used to turn you into the _beithir béimneach. _You are part bear, part serpent." The creature narrowed its eyes, looking eerily like Snape with the gesture. Remus knew he wanted to know what the delay was in having Harry perform the spells. "Harry is missing at the moment. In the midst of subduing you and the rest of us casting our part of the spells, we missed seeing what happened to him."

The creature gave another deep growl of displeasure, his eyes alight with contained anger.

Across the room, laughter rang out. Everyone whirled about, having forgotten for the moment that Lucius was there. The wizard was sitting on the floor, legs crossed. Flitwick had the cane in his hand and had his wand trained on the man tensely. Seeing that he had their attention, Lucius shook his head. "Even in losing, I win. You've lost your savior. You'll never get him back. You can't get to him, can you? You couldn't, even if you knew where he is." He grinned at them with a madness in his eyes.

They were all so focused on him that they did not see Snape wind his way around the room. The huge black bear paws came around Malfoy from behind and seemed to gently embrace him. But as they lifted the startled man from the floor, it was clear that they were tightening rapidly and fatally. The open mouth of the bear began to descend towards the blond head and Remus rushed forward, shouting:

"Severus, no!" He used all his strength to grab the creature by the fur at the sides of the head and pull it up and away from Malfoy. "Severus, stop and think!"

The creature shook Remus's hands off and regarded him with fiery eyes. The others had raised their wands again, waiting from a signal from Dumbledore to attack. The creature bared its teeth even more, saliva dripping down onto Malfoy's shoulder. Malfoy was turning blue from the suffocating hold the bear had on him. The snake tail was slowly coiling around the lower portion of Malfoy's body, the stinger coming to rest at a striking angle to the man's abdomen.

Remus reached out and took the creature's head between his hands again and spoke firmly. "You are _not_ the _beithir béimneach _ in your mind. You are Severus Snape. You are angry, but you are in control of it! Think! If you kill him, we may never find Harry!"

Remus jerked his head over his shoulder, indicating Draco. "Do you really wish to kill the father right in front of his son?"

The creature slowly shifted its eyes to look down at Draco's white face. Draco was shaking, but he held his wand extended towards the creature and his father the same as the others.

Abruptly, the creature released Malfoy, who fell unconscious to the floor once more. Slithering along on the snake portion of its body, the creature circled the room until it was well away from the people. Remus turned to them and Dumbledore lowered his wand, the others following his lead.

Dumbledore turned to Draco. "If you have any idea where Harry may be, this would be the time to say."

Draco answered, "The Malfoy Manor dungeons. But just like when Severus was probably there, the wards are too strong for anyone to pass through."

Dumbledore slumped slightly. "Would you be able to get through if you went home?"

Draco's eyes widened. "Home?"

"It is your home, after all. If you contacted your mother and went home, would you be able to get into the dungeons?" Dumbledore's eyes were piercing.

Draco looked to be at a loss. "I don't believe my mother has taken the Dark Mark, so she would probably let me come … but what if other Death Eaters are already there? He could have had them there waiting."

Snape gave a low roar and they looked at him. The bear head swayed from side to side. Dumbledore went to him. "You don't believe that he had other Death Eaters there?"

The creature shook its head again, still growling. The black eyes stayed locked on Dumbledore's. In a few seconds, Dumbledore's widened. "The uncle, then?"

The creature tensed, coils tightening around itself. Dumbledore turned back to the others. "It may be worse and more urgent than I thought."

McGonagall shook her head. "How can anything be worse than Harry being with Death Eaters?"

Dumbledore looked back at Snape. "Death Eaters would be keeping Harry alive for Voldemort. If Malfoy had the uncle waiting, he will be in very grave danger indeed."

The creature nodded its massive head with another low roar. It looked over at Draco.

Draco swallowed hard and said, "I'll send a swift owl to my mother. Tell me what you wish me to say."

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Vernon Dursley was sweating from his exertion, but he was happy to be doing what he was doing. The freak had been gone too long and he had a lot of pent-up anger and resentment to get rid of. It was bad enough that the little monster had turned out to have magic after all the years they had given him room and board. Now, to learn that there had been money all along; his wife's weird sister and that good-for-nothing husband had piles of gold tucked away in some wizard bank. Now that Vernon knew about it, he would have it. That blond chap had promised him that he would make it so Harry would be obedient and willing forever. Looking down at the heap in front of him, he wasn't sure if he wanted the freak to be obedient. It was much more satisfying for him to fight and cry under Dursley's attentions. But he had to be careful; if Harry died, he might not get the money. He would only get it if Harry was made to turn it over after he was of age.

He reached out and stroked a finger along a bloody cheek, Harry cringing against the touch. With a smile, Dursley continued to stroke and touch, reveling in all the tremors and cries it produced. "Say it again, freak. Say the words I like to hear."

The whimpers were almost too soft to be heard. "Whatever you wish, uncle … whenever you wish, uncle … however you wish, uncle …"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Draco entered the parlor of the Manor. His mother Narcissa sat sipping at a cup of tea as she turned the pages of a book. When Draco came in, she put the cup and book aside and stood up.

"Sweetheart! I'm so glad to see you!" She put out her hands for Draco to take and offered her cheek for his kiss. "I have missed you, but what brings you here?"

Draco led her to sit back on the sofa, keeping her hands in his. "Mother, I know that you prefer to keep yourself apart from father's business dealings, but I have to ask you –"

Narcissa put up a hand to stop him. "Don't speak of those horrors. I can't bear it Draco, you know I can't."

Draco leaned forward and looked into his mother's eyes. "You have to know that father is a Death Eater. He is very close to the Dark Lord."

Narcissa shook her head and Draco took her hands in his. "If you truly don't wish to be a part of his dealings, then help me."

Her eyes widened. "Don't tell me you are defying him? Draco, my little dragon. You can't go against him. He won't stand for it."

"Right now, he's under guard. He can't hurt you if you help me."

She gave him a long and considering look. "What do you need?"

"I need the wards in the dungeons lowered. Father may be keeping someone prisoner, and I need to get in there."

"Who is it that you believe he has there?"

Draco thought hard for a moment. Would his mother help if she knew who he was trying to get to? Was she as free from the control of the Dark Lord and his father as he thought? One mistake could undo the efforts to get to Harry. His mother's blue eyes turned piercing, "Who, Draco?"

"It may be Harry Potter, mother. He may be in great danger."

She sat back, pulling her hands away from his. Standing up, she crossed to the window and looked out at the night. "He would kill me if I helped you. He'll kill you if he knows you are even thinking about helping the Potter boy."

"He already knows I'm on Harry's side. He found that out tonight," Draco said quietly.

Narcissa turned to him, sadness in her face. "Do you have any idea what you're asking of me? I have been faithfully by your father's side for twenty years. Even though I have long suspected that he is involved in Dark Magic, he has always treated me well. I know that you have had your differences, but he only wanted you to grow up strong."

"That's why you had to provide healing spells for me, is it? He wanted me to be strong, so he chained me in the dungeon –"

"Stop it! You know I hated what he did! But I could do nothing."

Draco stepped up to her and took her hands again. "You can do something this time. You can help Harry. Lower the wards so Dumbledore can get in."

Narcissa laughed weakly. "Do you really think he would trust me with the keys to the wards? I'm afraid I can't help you." At Draco's disappointed expression, she added, "I would if I could. Please believe me."

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The creature lay curled on a rug in front of the fire in Snape's quarters. Madame Pomfrey was dabbing healing potion onto the gashes and bite marks from the battle with Remus. Remus was pulling his shirt back on over the wounds she had already treated for him. Snape watched the other man warily, having been on the receiving end of a particularly painful stunning hex when he wouldn't readily go down into the dungeons.

Remus sat down in front of him and Snape raised his bear head to look eye-to-eye with him. Remus sighed. "I wish we had been on better terms before, Severus. But we have a common goal now, and that's to get Harry back. Once he's back, he has the counter for the creature curse."

The bear gazed at him resentfully. Remus gave a small smile. "If I could guess, I would say you are wanting to know why one of us can't perform the counter."

The bear gave a nod at that, his lip lifting in a characteristic Snape sneer. Remus continued, "The curse might only be broken by someone who cares very deeply for you. Of course, Albus cares for you like a son…but he was part of our triad against the Imperius. That leaves Harry." He grin was feral and he leaned forward. "Unless, of course, you want _us_ to have a deeper relationship?"

The bear growled menacingly and Remus laughed, "Me neither." Giving the massive head a pat he sobered, "We'll get him back. We've been working all this time to help you; we'll keep looking until we find a way to get to him." The bear was able to look quite morose, for an animal. "Besides, you owe me some Wolfsbane Potion. This last change was hell."

Snape gave a little huffing sigh at that and laid his head back down on crossed paws. Remus dared another scratch behind the black ears and murmured, "You would know all about that, now, wouldn't you?"

Behind them, the door opened and Dumbledore entered with Draco. Draco looked dejected, but Dumbledore had a determined glint in his eyes.

"Draco went to see Narcissa. She can't lower the wards, but she is willing to let us in to try and get them down." Dumbledore bent down to put a hand on Snape's head. "As soon as we can, we'll have him back here." To Remus, he gave a jerk of his head and said, "Let's go."

The three of them left the room, and the creature turned its head to look into the fire. Madame Pomfrey had finished with her healing potions and she gave the bear a pat before throwing floo powder into the flames and disappearing.

Snape closed his eyes. The animal in him was subdued, but he felt it fighting its way to try and regain control again. With great effort, Snape shoved back and sighed at the headache it produced. There had to be something he could do. Harry was in danger and he was laying here like a great lump. Merlin, his mind was working so slowly, it was maddening. It was right there, right in the edge of his knowledge and he couldn't grasp it. Something about the Malfoy wards … something Lucius had told him long ago when they had been as close as brothers in Malfoy's eyes.

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Lucius sat back against the cold wall, examining the chains around his wrists with interest. Professor Flitwick sat across the small dungeon room in a chair. His head was on his chest as he dozed, snoring softly.

Malfoy smiled to himself. The nights events had not been a total loss. Eventually, Dumbledore would turn him over to the aurors. His well-placed bribes would ensure that he spent a minimum amount of time incarcerated. He had already planned for the Inner Circle to arrive at the Malfoy Dungeons the next evening. The Dark Lord would be ecstatic about his gift of Harry Potter. That fat Muggle could be properly disposed of. His only purpose had been to terrorize the little saint.

He gave a little chuckle, not hearing until too late the hiss of movement against the stone floor. He was enclosed in a suffocating embrace of black fur, unable to make a sound. The scorpion stinger penetrated his stomach just as slavering jaws closed on his neck.

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_**A/N:**_

_Sorry! Another Cliff hanger! Don't hate me too much! I believe this must be the style my Muse finds 'amusing'…_

_Thanks to all the wonderful reviews! You've all been quite sweet and patient. I wanted to say a bit about the __beithir béimneach. I thought that I would include the only definition I have of it, so you could see where I got the idea. Merging the serpent and the bear just sort of happened. One of my reviewers, Lady Zee, thought that maybe a snakes body could not support the upper body of a bear. My supposition is that that serpent portion is like that of a basilisk, very capable of such a support. However you see it, it's a horrifying beast:_

Beithir … serpent, any wild beast, bear **beithir **ScG, bear, serpent, wild beast; dragon (?) . A word in early Scottish Gaelic narratives for an undetermined savage creature. It may be a translation of the Norse word for 'bear', but it may also mean 'thunderbolt'. The **beithir** may have a long tail, but it never appears to be the fiery winged dragon of Germanic ... beithir

a serpent, any wild beast, monster, a huge skate, Irish _beithir_, wild beast, bear, Early Irish _beithir_, Gaelic _bethrach_. In the sense of "bear", the word is, doubtless, borrowed; but there seems a genuine Celtic word _betrix_ behind the other meanings, and the _beithir_ or _beithir béimneach_ is famed in myth. Cf. Latin _be-stia_, for _bet-tia_? Norse _bera_, bear (fem.), _beirfhall_, bearskin, English _bear_ (Zim. K.B.+_1_ 286).

_Thanks to __**logicalquirk**__ for her ever faithful beta work! Extra tea and cookies to her!_

_If you haven't heard yet, I have to take a moment to brag; __**First Prophecy**__ was a winner in Term 3 of the __**Goblet Awards**__**Best Dramatic Fiction**__! Yea! It couldn't have happened without __**KimInSpirit's**__ nomination, though, so a big round of hugs to her!_


	33. Chapter 33

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 33

_**A/N: WarningAbuse, torture, material may be too intense for some …**_

Draco flooed through first to give his mother warning. Dumbledore and Lupin followed quickly after. Narcissa stood there, nervously wringing her hands. Dumbledore strode forward extending his own hands, and she automatically put hers out in response.

"My dear Madame, thank you for allowing us entrance. This must be terribly awkward for you."

"Professor Dumbledore, I confess I feel at odds right now. I shouldn't have let you … but Draco is my only child and I love him … more than I fear his father."

"You are very brave," he assured her.

"That, or else very stupid. After Draco left, I had other visitors, associates of Lucius. It appears that some sort of gathering has been planned for later this evening."

Dumbledore looked at Remus sharply. "Then our time is constrained from two ends." Turning to Draco, he said, "Show us the way to the dungeons. We must begin work immediately."

Draco led them down several lavish hallways and into a study that had to belong to the master of the manor. It was darkly masculine, while at the same time being gloriously rich in appointments and black leather furniture. Twin portraits of Lucius and Narcissa hung over a massive black marble fireplace. Draco tried to open a door partially covered by a drawn drape, but it was solidly shut.

"This door leads to the dungeons." He stood back so that Dumbledore could examine the door more closely.

Dumbledore closed his eyes and raised his wand, muttering spells under his breath. Draco tried the door again at his nod, but it remained locked. More spells followed, and Remus took a few tries of his own. Draco sat down at his father's desk, looking through papers, sifting through any unlocked drawers; trying to find any clues to the wards.

Narcissa brought a tea tray up after they had been at it for quite some time. Taking her own cup, she settled on the black leather sofa to watch their attempts continue fruitlessly.

Her cup rattled in its saucer when she put it down as Dumbledore sat down on the other end of the sofa to think.

Her voice was tremulous. "You really must not be here much longer. I don't know what time they will come and I need time to compose myself."

Draco knelt down beside her and covered her hands with his. "You are always composed, mother."

She smoothed back his immaculate blond hair. "Yes, but it does take a bit of work to get into my appropriately vacuous character. It would never do for them to know I might have a mind of my own."

"We're working as quickly as we can, Narcissa. The wards are truly as formidable a set as I have ever seen," Dumbledore commented.

At that moment she and Draco looked at each other in question. "Do you hear that, Draco?"

"Yes … the sounds of failing wards … but they aren't casting at the moment …" he said, looking at Remus and Dumbledore. "We can sense that the wards are coming down, but I don't know how –"

"What are you doing in my home, old man? How dare you bring that flea-bitten werewolf here. Draco, is this your idea of a joke? Narcissa, expel them at once."

Narcissa's cup and saucer shattered as it dropped from her stunned fingers. Dumbledore and Remus were back to back, wands at the ready, scanning the room for the owner of Lucius Malfoy's voice. Draco had placed a protective arm around his mother.

When a search of the room showed that no one had entered, they all looked at each other. Laughter from over the fireplace brought their attention to the portraits. Narcissa's was as still as ever, while the one of Lucius was sneering down at them.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Home!" Malfoy thundered.

Dumbledore looked up at the portrait and lowered his wand. "Lucius. It seems that something rather disastrous must have happened. For your portrait to suddenly become animated and the wards to fall, you must be … how to say it … deceased."

Narcissa gasped and sat down abruptly, Draco still holding to her shoulders in support. Remus went to the door and it opened easily in his hands. Dumbledore followed quickly, and they disappeared, leaving Malfoy ranting about how it was impossible for him to be dead, and demanding that Draco and Narcissa obey him.

Remus kept his wand out as he descended the steps downward into the dungeon. Dumbledore kept a look out behind them as he moved after. At the bottom of the steps were numerous barred doors off of a corridor. They could make out noise coming from the one at the end and they made their way there quietly.

Standing outside, they heard a low voice, "Severus come, Remus come, someone come …" followed by a thud and a cry of pain.

"Don't say that, freak! Say only those things I want you to say! Say them now!"

A whimpering cry followed the demand and another thud. "W-whatever y-you w-wish, uncle … w-whenever you w-wish, uncle …"

Remus's howl of rage interrupted the faint words, the door flying open with the force of his body hurtling through it. Dursley looked up wide-eyed at the entrance of the unexpected men. Remus had stopped at the sight that met them. Dursley was half-clothed and what he had on was in disarray. He was standing over what looked like a pile of bloody rags. They saw that the pile was quivering. Remus looked at Dumbledore with eyes that burned. Albus returned the look with intense understanding. Raising his wand, he pointed at the ceiling of the dungeon where a wrought iron candelabra hung. For the second time in twenty-four hours he shouted, "_Plenus Luna_!"

The false moon formed over their heads. Dursley was distracted by this bit of magic and when he looked back at the men, one of them had transformed into a monster right out of nightmares. He took a step backwards, hands held out in a wasted gesture of begging for mercy.

The werewolf stepped towards him, taking his time, needing to feel the fear increase in the Muggle that had caused such fear in Harry. Dursley was still trying to back away from the beast with bared fangs and extended, dagger-sharp claws. He came up against the wall where Harry was chained and began to sink down.

Dumbledore went to Harry, passing his wand over the boy several times. The chains tethering him dissolved. The werewolf watched as the old wizard gently picked the boy up in his arms. Harry cried out in pain and terror, Dumbledore making soothing noises as he walked slowly out of the room.

Behind him, he heard Remus's deep snarl of wrath and Dursley's cry cut short to a gurgle.

Walking up the stairs, he entered Lucius Malfoy's study, bearing the trembling body. Narcissa and Draco both gasped. Narcissa stared at the boy as Dumbledore laid him on the sofa, wrapping him in the light blanket that had been over its back. She straightened her shoulders and glared up at the portrait that looked over the room.

"How dare you let something like this happen to a child, Lucius Malfoy? I knew you were a cruel man, but this – this is beyond what I dared to imagine." She stalked out of the room, Draco following but looking back over his shoulder at Harry, his eyes wide in disbelief.

Lucius smirked from his vantage point, shaking his head over the 'poor boy'. When Narcissa and Draco returned, they carried another blanket, and a chest of potions. She opened it beside Dumbledore and he gave her a nod of thanks. Lucius scowled down and made nasty remarks until she looked up at the painting. She had a sad, sweet smile on her face as she raised her wand. Waving it, the other blanket flew up and covered the portrait completely. Behind it, Lucius stormed in a fit of pique until she added a silencing charm. Then she went back to assisting Dumbledore in gently wiping the blood away from the numerous wounds that covered Harry's face and head. When he began sobbing with the pain of being conscious, she helped him pour a sleeping potion gently between his bleeding lips.

Remus appeared at the door, in the process of transforming back to himself. He was covered with blood that was not his own. Draco, swallowing hard, waved his own wand to perform the first of several cleansing charms required to remove the stains from his face, hands, and clothing. Remus stood there staring at Harry while this happened. Then he said quietly, "Have your house elves clean the dungeon before the Death Eaters arrive. I – I left it in a bit of a mess, I'm afraid."

Dumbledore looked at him. "Dursley?"

"Dursley will never get a chance to hurt anyone again," Remus answered harshly.

Narcissa glanced up at Dumbledore. "I hope you won't hold my husband's evil deeds against me or my son, Headmaster. I see now that I hid my face from too much, ignored the evil in hopes that by doing so it would not exist for me. I was wrong." She laid a hand on Harry's brow. "That he could do this, even allow it to be done, to a young boy our own son's age sickens me. Will he be alright, do you think?"

Dumbledore closed his eyes sadly for a moment. "This poor boy has survived before when the situation was as horrific. I pray he has enough strength left to do so again. Thank you for assisting us, Narcissa. We will be leaving now. Are you up to the company you'll be having?"

She gave him a bright and vacant look, "Oh yes! I will be just fine! I will play the perfect simple-headed wife. Lucius has gone away unexpectedly; you know, to the continent. He never tells me the details because he knows I never keep it all straight. He left orders that everyone should enjoy the hospitality of the Manor whilst he is away."

Dumbledore smiled gently at her. "You are a most accomplished actress, my dear. Please know that you may call upon me if you have need; we owe you a debt for helping us rescue Harry."

She nodded as Remus bent to gently gather the blanket more securely around Harry and pick him up. They made their way to the fireplace back in the parlor, not trusting that Lucius's fireplace might not spit them out on another Death Eater's hearth.

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Snape had not gotten out the door after killing Lucius before blinding pain struck him. It seemed that his head and body were suddenly pulsing with agony that pounded in time to his heartbeat. The animal in him bellowed, causing Flitwick to startle awake. The little professor stood up rapidly and saw right away that Lucius was dead. There was no mistaking the terrible bloody wound that had been his throat, nor the swollen bluish tint that only poison could impart to the skin of the man's face. No doubt, his passing had been a silent but agonizing affair.

The beast was holding its bear head in between its huge paws, its snake body coiling around to rest underneath the black fur. In his still slow mind, Snape could now hear Harry. Killing Lucius had been right. The wards were down; not only could he be found now, but Snape could hear him as well as feel him. He tried to make sense of the words he heard …

'_Someone come, Severus come, Remus come …'_ then another exploding pain in his side, followed by _'Whatever you wish, uncle, whenever you wish, uncle, however you wish, uncle …'_

Snape tried again to unravel the puzzle. What was it? Then his body felt as if a huge weight fell over it, squeezing all the air out of spent lungs. A new pain began in another already throbbing part of his body, the phantom pain making him feel like heaving. Then he knew what must be happening; how Harry must be enduring another attack. He bellowed again, the roar one of helpless outrage, and desperation. The wards were down, surely they would get to him now …

_A window opened in the pain and Snape heard an answering howl outside Harry's mind, a howl he had heard recently. The great phantom weight was suddenly gone and Snape could see dimly through Harry's eyes … Dursley backing away … Dumbledore's grandfatherly face peering down at him, making calming and soothing noises … over his shoulder a shadow that cleared into the face of the werewolf that had subdued Snape, giving a feral snarl … Dumbledore trying to gather Harry up without causing more pain, and that was an impossibility … lightening flashes of torment raced along every nerve line of his body … as Dumbledore carried him away, the sound of a scream stopped by the sound of ripping flesh … Snape knew that sound well; it had been only a few moments before when he himself was tearing flesh with his fangs … Harry was laid down again, his face being gently cleaned … he heard the voice of Lucius … how was that possible? Snape had killed the man himself … then it was silenced. The pain became unendurable and someone finally gave him something – something that dulled the realization of pain at least – and then darkness closed in Harry's mind, shutting the link._

The Snape beast raised its head to gaze at Professor Flitwick. The little man had been watching intently as the bear-snake writhed in pain, its head between its paws. Now it seemed to settle and calm slightly. Snape gave a low, moaning growl and then wound his way out of the dungeon cell. He had to get to Harry. Somehow, he had to get through to wherever they took him; he had an overwhelming need to be with him, cradle him, protect him.

The creature stopped at the fireplace of Snape's quarters, staring into it. Giving another plaintive growl, it looked back at Flitwick. The man had followed the creature, unsure about whether to simply keep track of it, or stop it. It had killed someone, even if that someone was Lucius Malfoy. Flitwick had seen Lupin speak to the creature, but he wasn't so sure himself that the man inside the beast was present enough to warrant the belief that he was 'back in his own mind.'

Snape saw that the man did not understand what it was he wanted, what he needed. Closing its eyes he pushed very hard with his thoughts. In a few moments Dobby popped in beside the fireplace. He gave a terrified squeal at confronting the massive monster, his little hands over his mouth, knees knocking together as they shook. The creature stared hard at the elf, the black eyes at once intense and pleading. Dobby stopped shaking and stared in wonder.

"You is Professor Snape? Yes, I hear you try to tell me … you is needing Harry Potter … no, you is wanting to go to Harry Potter?"

The creature gave a brief nod. Dobby smiled a toothy little smile. "I will go and see where they is taking him, if he is back." The elf popped away.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Remus went through the Floo directly to the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey had directed his steps to the same bed that Harry had always occupied. This time, she surrounded it with screens, shutting out the ones who had also been there waiting and had caught only a horrified glimpse of Harry's unconscious face before that happened.

Only Remus, Pomfrey and Dumbledore were beside the bed as she gently unwrapped him from the Malfoy blanket and began her examination of his injuries. Even as a trained professional, she could not keep the gasps silent as the passes of her wand revealed the extent.

Her eyes flew to Dumbledore, "His _uncle_ did this? _Family_? Severus will kill him."

Remus shook his head. "No, he won't. I already did." His face was grim when she searched it.

"But your victims … they become …"

"This one won't," he said bluntly.

Outside the screens, Hermione, Ron and Professor McGonagall looked at each other, faces grim, trying hard not to show revulsion at what they heard. Behind them, Draco appeared out of the fireplace.

"I was making sure that my mother was alright, and the dungeons cleaned. How is Harry?"

McGonagall conjured up chairs for them all to sit in. She was sure this would be an ordeal that required somewhere on which to collapse when things became clearer.

Behind the screen, Pomfrey applied charm and spell to the battered body. "Albus … this is so much worse than before … how could so much damage happen in such a short time?"

"I'm afraid the uncle was set up by Lucius to be exactly what Harry has been most afraid of all his life. When he appeared in the dungeon, the uncle no doubt thought that he was a gift from Lucius, to be used in whatever way he sought. The wards were so strong, I am certain that even if Harry had not been in terror, he would have had difficulty casting any defense with magic. Any magic was most likely suppressed by the wards. In his Muggle ways, the uncle was the one with the upper hand."

Outside the screens, Draco nodded and called, "Yes Professor. The wards were set to prevent anyone but father using magic."

Ron looked at Draco questioningly. "How did you break them? How did the professors find the keys to getting the wards down?"

Draco looked back at him with dull grey eyes. "They didn't. Someone here killed my father. When he died, the wards fell."

Ron looked like he wanted to say something to Draco, but he couldn't quite find the words. Hermione did come over and put a hand on Draco's arm.

"I'm sorry about your father."

He looked at her steadily. "I'm not. He was my father and I wanted to please him my entire life. But he had become evil and mad. My mother and I will be better off without him." He was so bitter-sounding that they all stared, at a loss for how to reply to that.

Dobby popped into place outside the screens and looked around at them all. "Is Harry Potter here? Professor Snape is wanting to see him very badly."

Dumbledore came around the screens and knelt beside the elf. "You're able to hear Severus in his present form?"

Dobby nodded, frowning. "It is difficult. The words do not come easily for him, even in his mind. But the professor tried hard and Dobby could hear that he needs to be with his Harry."

"Is he still down in his quarters?"

Dobby nodded. Professor Dumbledore went to the fireplace, and after throwing in Floo Powder he was gone.

Down in Snape's quarters, black eyes searched the blue ones as soon as he stepped through. Dumbledore nodded to him, "Yes, we have him back. He's safe in the hospital wing. I'm not sure you should see him just yet …"

A long low rumble came from the creature's throat. The eyes were holding steady with Dumbledore's, and there was a wetness there that would not have been had Snape been in human form and in tighter control of his emotions.

Dumbledore sighed. "You killed Malfoy?" At the creature's nod, he sighed again. "If you had not, we would not have been able to breach the wards in time. When you are once again yourself, you must remember that and have no feelings of remorse."

He went to the fireplace and gestured for the creature to follow. To Flitwick he said, "If you would wait a few moments and then throw the powder for Severus?"

Flitwick nodded and went to the creature's side, giving his colleague a comforting caress as they waited.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

In the hospital, the fire flared as Dumbledore came back through. "Severus is coming through. He is quite safe, even if his appearance says otherwise."

In a few moments, the fire flared again and the creature emerged, seeming to take forever as the bear body was followed by the lower half and end of a huge serpent. The others could not help but step back in response, but Snape ignored them all, heading directly for the area behind the screens.

Madame Pomfrey gave a little shriek of surprise that was calmed by Remus's murmured words. Ignoring the screens, the others in the room had to see what was happening. Pomfrey finally stopped trying to keep them from being removed.

Snape moved close to the bed, looking the boy over from foot to head, nose twitching. A low moaning growl was all he uttered as he looked up at Remus. Remus knew that Snape's heightened animal sense of smell was detecting the odor of Dursley all over Harry. He smelled it himself and it made him feel ill that it covered Harry.

Coiling the snake end of himself around the bed, Snape settled himself against the head of the bed, bringing his head as close to Harry's as he could. He gave another small huff as he laid his head down softly on the pillow. A black paw came to rest on Harry's chest.

Eyes closed and Snape tried hard to remember how to get into Harry's dream state. Part of his mind knew it could be done; it had been done, but how to do it now seemed to be beyond reach. He pushed his brain to work harder.

Remus pulled a chair up and settled himself down on the other side of the bed. The cubchild was between them, and they looked across at each other, eyes promising that nothing would be allowed to touch this boy as long as they were here to guard him.

The others knew that there was no place for them here, at this time. The two with Harry would take care of anything that needed caring for. Pomfrey drew the screens back into place and motioned them to leave. With great reluctance, they did.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_**A/N:**_

_Not so much a cliff hanger this time, but I know most of you are waiting for the reunion. It happens soon, rest assured. _

_I am able to post this and the next chapter because they are done, for all intents and purposes. My wonderful beta, __**logicalquirk**__ gets them back to me and I try to do the corrections quickly. But, after Ch.34, I don't have anything as of this date. It's stuck inside the Muse and she's not sharing right now for this fic!_

_However, I am in the slow process of writing a fic to expand on __**The Kiss**__. The first chapter of that should be up soon. I am uncertain of the title, but if you have me on Author Alert, you'll know when it's posted!_

_Thank you to all the readers, even if you don't review. Special thanks to those that do review! My Muse is ever so grateful!_


	34. Chapter 34

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 34

Snape refused to relinquish his place beside Harry. Madame Pomfrey finally became somewhat used to leaning over the coiled serpent's body to reach the bed and bend over Harry under the hotly puffing breath of an enormous bear. She would use both hands to lift the huge black paw from Harry's chest so she could run her diagnostic spells. When she finished, and had spelled a portion of nutritional broth into Harry's stomach, Snape would lay the paw back down, glaring at the mediwitch.

Remus stayed close, as close as Snape would allow, anyway. When he would reach a hand out to touch Harry, Snape would growl with unmistakable threat. In deep irritation, Remus finally leaned over the bed and into the face of the bear,

"Who do you think has protected him while you were unable to? Who do you suppose has been there when he has cried at your cruel rejection? _Me_, Severus. _I_ have been there for him these last weeks. You will not shut me out of his life now. He needs us both."

The bear drew back a lip in a very Snape-like sneer. Black obsidian eyes burned into the fierce gold ones of the werewolf. He allowed Remus to smooth the hair back from Harry's forehead and wipe it with a cool cloth. He couldn't do that with his paws, after all.

Madame Pomfrey was adamant about not letting Ron, Hermione, or Draco come near. She did not trust that Snape would have enough restraint to keep from snapping at one of them. Dumbledore and McGonagall supported her in this and Remus shrugged, knowing that she was right to keep them back. He promised to keep them informed of how Harry was doing.

During the night, they dozed in their places as Harry continued to sleep.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Snape gazed around at the familiar white mists rolling over his feet … but there were no feet where he expected to see them. Instead, the body of a snake, a very large snake, was what he saw. Looking at his hands, he saw black paws tipped with four inch long, curved claws. Thinking was slow and muddled, but he remembered that he was in a cursed form. Lucius had cursed him with …_ Beithir beimneach, the legendary bear-serpent._

He heard someone crying and it was familiar. The sound tugged him forward in search. Through the fog he crawled until he reached the boy. He knew the boy … it was Harry, sitting with drawn-up knees hugged tightly. Beside him there was a huge, grey wolf. It lay with its head on its paws, watching the approach of the monster.

Harry looked up, and there was fear in his eyes when he saw the beast approaching. He jumped up and would have run, if the wolf had not stepped up and pressed himself against his legs, keeping him from bolting. Harry looked down at the grey wolf and it looked back, nudging his hand. When Harry put his hand atop the wolf's head, stroking it familiarly, Snape felt a moment of jealousy. The wolf merely looked up at the bear-serpent expectantly. Snape became aware that the wolf was a symbol of Lupin's protection. He was there as part of Harry's dreamstate.

Harry looked between the two animals and finally said to the beast, "You're Severus?"

The beast gave a growl and Snape attempted to think clear thoughts, to communicate.

'_So much has happened …'_

Harry switched to the comfortable way of talking through their link. _'I hurt … even here, where I dream …'_

'_I know. I'm sorry, Harry.'_

'_I can't do this again. I can't stand the pain.'_

'_I'm here now … and Lupin.'_ His voice was a touch resentful. _'We will help you.'_

'_Remus can't talk to me here. He's just…here…It doesn't matter. I can't be what everyone expects anymore. I was too scared to fight and if I can't fight my uncle … what hope is there that I can defeat Voldemort?'_ The boy sat down and buried his head atop his bent knees.

The beast came closer and settled in front of the huddled figure. _'Harry … I know you … you will survive this …'_ A giant paw made a small prodding gesture at the bent head. Harry reached up and caught the paw in his hands, and pressed his face into the fur on the back of it. Snape could feel the sobs that shook him.

Reddened green eyes looked up after a few minutes. _'Don't let me wake up. I don't want to wake up. Let me stay here.'_

'_We all have to face our fears at some time. Rest, for now; but you will have to face yours. You will get through it.'_

Harry bent back over the paw, hugging it as he wept. The wolf put his grizzled head on Harry's leg and an arm went around it, as well.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Dumbledore sat with McGonagall in his office. Both stared into a fire they didn't see, sipping at cups of tea they didn't taste. The soft hoot of an owl brought their eyes to the window as a large black one flew into the room. Dumbledore relieved it of the parcel it had tied to its leg and it flew back out.

Dumbledore opened the brief note atop a long narrow box. He passed it to McGonagall to read as he opened the box.

_Dear Professor Dumbledore,_

_I knew that this would be something that would be dearly missed. I concealed it from my guests after my own house elf found it while 'cleaning'. Please give my best to the owner._

_N.M._

McGonagall looked up to see Dumbledore withdraw a wand from the box. She could have sworn she saw a tear in the corner of a blue eye before he blinked it away.

"I was afraid it might have been destroyed by that foul Muggle …" he stopped and drew himself up. "Shall we look in and see how he is this morning? If he is well enough, he may be up to casting his part of the reversal spells for Severus."

McGonagall stood up with him and nodded. They had spent most of the night with Dumbledore telling her what had happened at Malfoy Manor. He had needed to share his own emotional pain with her, having been there first hand to witness the atrocities inflicted on Harry. He had always believed that he had made the right choice in placing the infant Harry with his mother's sister. The power of blood protection had been enough to ward him against the Dark Lord of the wizarding world. But the darkest possibilities of human perversions had been allowed to do their worst. In his efforts at protecting Harry from one, he had thrown him headlong into a viper's pit.

Harry had been rescued from it twice. Both times he had emerged, but with scars on his body and soul. They could only hope that this third time would not leave him permanently marked.

They walked up to the hospital wing and Dumbledore had to unward the doors for them to enter. Madame Pomfrey was trying to get Harry to swallow a potion while Remus held him. Harry struggled wildly to get free of him and Dumbledore could feel the heat in the room rising rapidly around the bed.

Dumbledore saw that Snape was hovering anxiously near the bed, but in his present state he was unable to give any direction to the coming event. He spoke firmly and loudly. "Remus, get behind him and hold onto his arms and hands. Direct them across the room; he needs a target. Everyone else get away from his line of sight."

Remus scrambled to do as Dumbledore said, pulling Harry back against his chest and securing arms against his sides. Harry was frantic, in the throws of a nightmare, his terror giving him almost inhuman strength. His skin was on fire to Remus's hands as he moved them down to grab hold of Harry's hands.

Dumbledore pushed McGonagall and Pomfrey to the floor and shouted to Remus, "Aim him towards the outside wall! Quickly!"

Remus had just managed to force Harry's hands together, pointing them towards a window, when thunder deafened them as lightening arced from his fingers to explode the window and surrounding stone outwards from the castle.

There was silence in the aftermath as dust settled around all of them. Madame Pomfrey got up and came to the bed where Remus lay back with Harry unconscious against him. She ran her wand over him as he began to shiver from the sudden chill on the sweat that covered him. She pulled up the blanket and Remus wrapped it around Harry, still cradling him.

In his sleep, Harry was murmuring, "Did I get him? … Is he gone?"

The adults all looked at each other, their own grief plain in their faces.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hours later, Remus still held Harry, intending to hold him until Harry woke up. He rested his head against Harry's, making his soothing wolf noises whenever Harry whimpered.

Dumbledore had left Harry's wand on the bedside table. When Harry was twisting in his dreams, Snape was growling softly; they knew that he was in the dreams with Harry.

'… _Harry, you need to wake up now.'_

'_Please, no … I can't do it again … let me just sleep until I die …'_

'_I cannot let you die.'_

'_I can't live like this, so now what?'_ The boy sat with the wolf's head in his lap, leaning against the coiled up bear-snake creature.

'_Will you not allow us to try and help you through this? Will you give up so easily?'_

'_Give up? I'm not giving up, you git!'_ Harry yelled angrily. _'Don't I get any say in what happens to me? Why is it always someone else who decides what happens in my life?'_ He turned around and glared at Snape and the creature returned it.

'_Would you have me remain in this cursed state? You are deciding my fate by refusing to wake up.'_ The black eyes of the bear challenged him to refute this.

Harry dropped his head back down to his chest, closing his eyes. _'I'm so tired, Severus.'_

'_I know. I'm not saying that it will be easy. In fact I'm sure that it will be anything but easy. But you will be safe.'_

The green eyes darkened in fury, _'That's what you said before. That's what Remus said. I trusted you both and you see where that landed me.'_

The creature slumped and lowered its own head. _'We are not perfect. I will rephrase; you are as safe as we can make you.'_

'_Then just let me die.'_ His voice was almost a whisper.

'_I cannot. I will not.'_

The boy wept again. The wolf kept its vigil beside him as the bear-serpent slowly crawled nearer and let the boy lean against the warm, furred belly …

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Two days later, Remus had gone to the library, wanting more books with which to research moon phase magic. Snape was close to the bed, a paw on Harry's chest, when he felt him move restlessly. Looking down, he saw green eyes looking up at him. Harry was awake.

Snape bent his head down and a large wet tongue swept across Harry's cheek in greeting.

Harry grimaced and then smiled weakly, "That's gross, Severus."

In his mind he heard Severus answer, _'If you'd perform your part of the counterspells, I would not do it again.'_

Harry pushed himself upright in the bed, wincing at the lingering soreness and the stiffness of unused muscles. He closed his eyes and heaved a tired sigh. "After I do this, will you let me go?"

"Go where?" Remus had walked back in and looked at Harry. "Where do you want to go?"

"Nowhere. I just want you to let me go … let me die."

Remus sat down beside Harry on the bed. "We've talked about this, remember? Things in life happen. We can't change them, but we can choose how we respond."

"And if this is how I choose to respond?" Harry looked at him with shadowed eyes and Remus reached out to stroke his hair. Harry winced at the contact and Remus drew back. Harry shook his head. "Never mind. Just review with me the spells so I can do it."

Remus went through the steps and the words with Harry. As they worked, Dumbledore had come back in. His blue eyes were bright at the sight of Harry awake and intent on breaking the curse on Snape. Remus left Harry whispering the words to himself to come and stand beside him.

"His part is very complex. Since he is to cast alone, it is in three parts, each forming part of his own triad. He's worried that he will get them confused." They saw that a sweat had broken out on Harry's forehead as he murmured.

Finally, Harry looked up, focused solely on the _beithir béimneach._ Snape tensed his coils and gave a low growl as he waited. Harry raised his hands, his right holding the wand which Dumbledore had returned. In a clear voice, Harry began, "_T__easairg adiuvo oide_." A bright blue light shot from the wand and formed a swirling eddy on the chest of the beast. Snape reared back from the force of it.

Harry closed his eyes for a moment and then added the second spell, a stream of yellow light coming from his left hand to join the eddy. "_Comperio foirbheart tailgneachd_." The two spells swirled together, turning into the green of Harry's eyes. Snape's eyes grew sharper as he now held Harry's.

"_Burgaid beist concero bris mallachd_." The third spell shot from both wand and hands. Instead of a straight line of light, this golden one twisted itself around the light streams already rushing from Harry, binding them into one continuous intense beam as it touched the chest of the creature.

Snape gave a huge roar as his body seemed to shimmer before beginning to shrink and reform. The long, muscular tail of the serpent drew shorter until two legs emerged. Black fur disappeared and the bear features of the head and upper body receded, transforming back into the familiar features of the Potions Master.

The spell stream continued pouring from Harry until the total change was complete. When it stopped, Harry slumped back, stumbling against the bed and sitting down on it. Remus went to him while Dumbledore went to the curled up, naked body of Snape. He pulled off his own outer robes and wrapped them around the man as he sat up, blinking.

Dumbledore raised him to stand and Snape walked to the bed, sitting down beside Harry. Harry looked up at him, his eyes exhausted. Tentatively, Snape put an arm around the thin shoulders. Harry leaned into him and put his arms around the man's waist. His voice was muffled against the robe. "I love you."

Snape threaded his fingers into Harry's hair and bent his head to press his lips against the top of his head. "I love you too, Harry."

Dumbledore and Remus walked to the other side of the screens surrounding the bed, leaving them to their reunion.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

After a brief rest, Snape returned to his classroom to regain control of classes that had fallen behind during his possession and change. He had a difficult time believing that he had been so irresponsible and disorganized. He had vague recollections of grading papers, but when he looked at what he had written, it was gibberish. A cauldron simmered in a corner and he realized that it was an extremely potent pain relief potion. He did not recall making it, and he felt an unease begin to grow as he stood over it, inhaling the fumes.

Remus stayed with Harry when Snape was in the dungeons. They avoided speaking to one another. What was left unsaid grew between them and they both knew that it would have to be addressed. Finally, as they passed silently at the door of the hospital, Remus reached out and took hold of Snape's arm. "We have to talk. Neither of us wants to, but we must. Tonight, when he's asleep," he said, nodding his head toward where Harry still lay behind privacy screens.

Snape looked down his nose at where Remus had hold of him and Remus released him. Black eyes met gold ones in silence, and then he nodded.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Snape walked into the hospital that evening and stopped at the edge of the screens. Remus was right beside the bed, his hand stroking Harry's head while Harry's was entangled in his long hair. Remus looked up at Snape. "Nightmare."

"Yes, I know. I heard him." Snape looked a little grim as he added, "I knew you were with him, so I finished what I had to do before I came."

Remus gently removed Harry's hand from his hair and laid the hand back under the blankets, tucking the sleeping boy in. Snape took a seat in the chair on the other side of the bed. By silent agreement, they decided that this conversation would be held here. Neither of them wanted Harry to be alone. He had been difficult to talk to, preferring to maintain silence, both with Remus and also with Snape. He only spoke through the link if he initiated the conversation himself; otherwise he was closed off.

Remus started, "You may already recall, but when you make the next Wolfsbane, you need to make a double batch." Snape looked at him with narrowed eyes and Remus continued, "Albus cast a full moon spell when you first transformed into the _beithir béimneach. _You were too powerful to cast against until you could be weakened. The only way was beast against beast. It not being an actual moon, I was still in full control, and I am uncertain if the injuries you received will cause you to bear my curse. I am hoping that it will not happen, since you no longer are under the _beithir béimneach_ curse. Perhaps the werewolf curse died with the beast."

Snape sat back in thought. After a few moments, he nodded. "I suppose it was the only possible action at the time." Remus nodded. For a few more minutes, they remained quiet, each waiting for the other. Remus asked, "Do you remember very much? I do not want to anger you by stating things that are obvious."

Snape gave him an irritated look before admitting, "Things are somewhat muddled. I remember being in pain a lot … I remember dreaming of him …" He stared down at Harry. "Hating him and not knowing why. It seemed like it was all tied to him and it was his fault." He looked up at Remus and shook himself, realizing that he had been rambling.

"Start talking. If I already know, I'll tell you."

Remus began with the moment that Snape had been taken by the portkey meant for Harry. Snape was now able to remember that Lucius had Obliviated and Imperiused him before sending him back to Hogwarts. He looked up with an angry snarl. "That disgusting Muggle, Dursley was there. He beat the hell out of me. I hope Malfoy killed him before he came here."

Remus glared into the distance. "He didn't. He was the one who did all this to Harry."

Snape stood up abruptly. "I'll search him out myself then. I don't care what the Wizengamot does, I'll kill him."

"You can't," Remus said quietly. "I already did."

Snape gave him a satisfied sneer. "Then he will be an animal –"

"No. There was not enough left of him to turn. I made damn sure of that." He had a haunted look in his eyes before they turned fierce again. "Dumbledore and I got to the Malfoy dungeons in time to see … Dumbledore cast another full moon and I took care of Dursley."

Snape nodded his approval. "Then we both took care of the evil bastards that hurt him. I killed Malfoy."

Remus sighed. "That explains the wards falling at the Manor. We didn't know it was you, but when Lucius's portrait animated, we knew he was dead." He looked at Snape intently. "I hope it was painful for him."

Snape sat down, reaching a hand to smooth the blanket over Harry. "I remembered Lucius bragging to me a long time ago. He had spent galleons on goblin security wards. He claimed they would hold against anything, falling only at his death." He met Remus's gaze with an intent one of his own. "As I recall, his death was quite enjoyable…for me."

The admission of killing mutual enemies seemed to break a last barrier down. They settled into discussing the past month, arguing companionably about the best way to proceed with Harry, how to get him past this depression and back among his friends. Snape could see, past his jealousy, that the werewolf had given his all to Harry while he could not be there for him. Remus could see, at last, why Harry had grown so attached to the Potions Master. It was very unsettling, still, to see expressions of affection cross Snape's face when he said Harry's name. They spoke about how Remus was certain now that Harry's power cycled and was strongest with the dark of the moon. Snape agreed that it made the most sense and he asked questions about what Remus had found in his research.

They talked until a sound from Harry brought their attention back to him. He looked back and forth between them several times before putting a hand out to each. The men took the hands offered, drawing themselves closer. Harry sighed and then sat up as he dropped the hands, looking uncomfortable. He settled himself back against the head of the bed and picked at the blanket over his knees.

Snape began, "We were discussing when you could go back to class and be with your classmates."

Harry shook his head. "That's not happening. I'm never going back. I want to go back to my rooms. I don't want to be with people, ever."

Remus reached out to him, drawing back when Harry flinched at his sudden touch. "You need your friends Harry. They need you, too."

Harry shook his head again. "I'm not going to class. You can't make me go." He gave them both a glowering scowl.

Snape looked at Remus. Both men looked uncharacteristically helpless in the face of this proclamation from Harry. They had their work cut out, it was certain.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

_**A/N: **_

_**Translations of Harry's counterspells:**_

_teasairg adiuvo oide_ Gaelic and Latin – means help save the foster father

_comperio foirbheart tailgneachd_ Gaelic and Latin – disclose wholly and assist the prophecy

_burgaid beist concero bris mallachd_ Gaelic and Latin – 'purge the beast', joined with 'break the curse'

_I am anxiously trying to get to the next stage of this fic. How will it turn out? Should the men take Harry away for a much-needed sabbatical? Should Harry be forced back to classes and his friends? I am re-reading the real JKR books for inspiration, as well as delving into fanfiction archives. The homework is fun, and I promise to be back at this story asap!_

_In the meantime, I am also posting a new story, revolving around my one-shot, The Kiss. The title is Search for His Soul. I hope that you will go read and enjoy it. It is a SS/HG ship, with HP there as a main character._


	35. Chapter 35

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 35

Madame Pomfrey had allowed the two men to move Harry back to his rooms when it became apparent that keeping him in the Infirmary was only serving to make him more anxious. Every time the door opened, and every time voices other than those of Snape, Lupin, or Pomfrey reached him, Harry would shake uncontrollably, eyes glazing with panic. He would not agree to see anyone; not Ron, Hermione, Draco, nor any of the other teachers who tried to come and help distract him from his injuries.

Snape carried him through the floo into the room that had been Remus's. He went to Harry's room and laid him on the settee. Harry sighed and put his head back against the rolled back of the cushions. Here, he knew no one could see him or speak to him except for Severus or Remus. The isolation felt safe and he allowed himself to relax like he had not been able to do in the hospital.

There, he had been terrified that someone would make him relive his time in the Malfoy dungeon. He thought that they might try to debrief him as a means of helping him cope. He wanted only to push all thoughts of it away, never to think of it again. Some part of him realized that it didn't work that way; that if he had to work this hard to push the memories away, they needed to be dealt with. The overwhelming thoughts took over and said that he just had to keep pushing and eventually it would all fade away.

Severus and Remus had agreed that Harry needed time to heal physically before they tried to make him deal with the emotional trauma.

Snape had immersed himself in his classes, trying to come to his own acceptance in dealing with the killing of his childhood friend. He felt a sick sort of relief that the man Lucius had become would not be able to hurt Harry or Draco again, but at the same time, he felt the loss of a man who had been there when no one else had, at a vulnerable time in Snape's teen years at Hogwarts. He had to keep telling himself that Malfoy had grown into almost as big a monster as the Dark Lord. He had to keep telling himself that Lucius had cursed him into a form that could have destroyed Hogwarts if Dumbledore had not cast a faux full moon, if Lupin had not fought the beithir down as a werewolf.

His joints still ached and his head pounded, mostly after nightmares of being trapped back in the bear-serpent body. The cauldron of pain killer sat in a protective stasis, waiting for him to empty it away. Remaining tremors of addiction to the ingredients stayed his hand when he tried to do away with it. Tiny sips of it calmed his nerves and he found himself unwilling to share this weakness with anyone. Harry was the focus right now. Harry needed him to be clear-thinking, and he could not do that if he was in pain, could he?

He had heeded Lupin's advice to prepare extra Wolfsbane, in case the werewolf curse had not been averted when the beithir was expelled. He worried about how Harry would handle that event, if both of the men had to be locked away … he felt a strange compulsion to apologize to Lupin for ever ridiculing his affliction. His experience with transformation and living inside the body and mind of a beast had forever changed the way he viewed such things. There was a new resolve to improve the Wolfsbane, no matter the financial burden of doing so.

Lupin sat quietly with Harry, trying not to make a great issue of his refusal to see any of his friends; trying not to insist on him keeping up with his classwork and dueling practice. The few times he had suggested a run in the castle had been met with angry green eyes and silence. He let Harry brood, thinking that perhaps in all the brooding he might come to the conclusion that he had to do something other than sit and stare out of the open stained-glass window.

Occasionally, Harry would walk restlessly around their rooms, touching the furniture and books with shaking hands, sometimes even opening a book to read a bit before shoving it away with a snarl. Lupin would remain silent, because if he made any kind of sympathetic noise, Harry would throw the book in a rage. He knew that something was brewing inside Harry's soul, but he did not know how to help make it a positive thing. He wanted to be here for his cubchild, even if the werewolf situation in Portugal was becoming dire. Dumbledore himself seemed to be of two minds regarding the best path for Lupin to walk. Gathering support of the werewolf clans was extremely important, but Harry's recovery was also important; and Remus wanted to be a part of it.

Harry knew that they all wanted him to get better. He could see that they were trying so hard not to force him to do anything that might make him worse. In a way, that _did_ make it worse. He had never felt so out of control in his life, even when he had been face to face with Voldemort. He believed that he could handle that much better than this feeling of helplessness. He felt caught in a net that was tightening around him, keeping him from breathing properly. He wanted to forget the way his uncle had forced him to submit to his perversions. He wanted to cry it all out on the shoulders of Severus and Remus, but he didn't yet think he could stand even their touch. And he was afraid that they would be so horrified that Harry had been used in such ways that they would be repulsed by him.

That, he couldn't bear the thought of. If they were sickened by him, they would leave and then he would truly be alone. So he kept the pain and horror bottled up, and it made him irritable and moody. In bed at night he hugged Prongs to his chest and bit down on one of the stuffed antlers to stifle his crying. He should be able to deal with this; he was the Boy Who Lived. He was the one prophesied to be the destroyer of Voldemort. He was supposed to be strong …

The Comfort Charm on Prongs seemed to be wearing thin; he could take several deep breaths before he felt any lessening of the breathlessness in his chest. Even then, it was too little to make much difference. But if he asked for Severus to cast another charm, he would think Harry was weak. If Harry was weak, Severus would abandon him. He would tell Remus and Remus would abandon him too.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Potions classes were a tense affair. All the students had heard through the grapevine that Snape had been cursed and it really had been him at the Halloween Masked Ball when the beast appeared. The fact that the man was back teaching in human form did not seem to matter to some of the students. Most of them flinched away from him even more so than usual. A few had been so afraid of attending his class that they wound up ill in the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey was kept busy supplying nerve potions and upset stomach remedies. Dumbledore and other Heads of Houses were kept busy with meetings with concerned parents and students who wanted to discuss dropping the class. The Ministry wanted to discuss suspending the Potions Master until further inquiry could assure them that he was no longer afflicted.

Through it all, Snape maintained a stiff silence. He realized that Dumbledore had every reason to suspend him and every reason to keep him in his place. Combined with the knowledge that the Dark Lord was now certain of his betrayal, Snape felt an unease about what he would do if forced to leave Hogwarts; how he would provide for himself, how he would care for Harry. He believed that Dumbledore knew that he was no longer a threat to the student population and that the Headmaster would do everything in his power to see that he was not put out.

But how long could the old wizard withstand popular opinion? That was what had got Lupin expelled from his position, after Snape had let it slip that the man was a werewolf. A twinge of remorse ran through him, although he had to concentrate to identify it; it had been a long time since he had let himself feel remorse for the actions he took. His role as spy and Death Eater had seen to that.

His thoughts that this was exactly the position Lupin had been in for years shook him to his core. That he had had a hand in keeping the man in poverty due to a situation beyond his control … and that man had always been civil to him in return. He had certainly never sniped at him with the sarcasm and hateful intent that Sirius Black or James Potter had used.

The thought that he owed the man an apology was a bitter one. He had taken care of Harry through these last weeks; comforting him, training him, rescuing him. The time when he could no longer avoid the man was drawing nearer. They had passed in the hidden rooms of the castle, each taking their turn in the watch over Harry. They had not spoken after that one long conversation over Harry's bed.

Hermione, Ron and Draco had formed a tenuous friendship in the hours spent behind the screen in the Hospital. Hermione gave him small waves and smiles when they met in class, or across the Great Hall at meals. Ron would give a simple jerk of his head that Draco returned. The Ministry had ruled Lucius Malfoy's death an accident of his own making, once they learned that he had cast the actual spell that changed Snape, plus the use of an Unforgivable. The Slytherin students avoided Draco, unwilling to either accept him or reject him as one of their own. He spent any time not in class either in the Library or in the Potions classroom.

That was how he discovered that Snape was probably addicted to the Pain Relief Potion that still sat in the corner of the laboratory. He was studying one evening while Snape graded essays at his desk. A sudden hiss and a low muttered oath had him looking at Snape. The teacher sat with his head in his hands, palms pressed in against his eyes.

Draco got up and walked up to the desk. "Severus? What is it?"

Snape looked up at him in surprise, as if he had forgotten that Draco was there. He shook his head in answer and then as Draco started back to his seat, he called, "Wait … Draco … would you mind going into the lab and fetching me a dose of the potion brewing in the corner? It's in stasis. Be sure to put the stasis field back up when you've dipped out the dose."

Draco nodded and went into the lab. He frowned as he looked down at the smooth surface of the potion. He saw the vials sitting nearby and he filled one. Glancing back into the other room, he saw that Snape still sat with his eyes covered. He quickly filled a second vial that he dropped into a pocket. After renewing the stasis field, he took the dose for Snape back out to the classroom. Snape immediately downed the potion, grimacing at the taste. After a few moments, he looked up at Draco and the question that was on his face.

"It's a pain relief potion. I am still experiencing some discomforts after … the ordeal."

"It looks rather strong. Did you brew it according to direction?"

Snape snapped his head up and glared at Draco coldly. "Are you questioning my ability to brew a simple Pain Draught?"

Draco shook his head. "No, of course not. It just looks stronger than I expected it to."

"You are not the expert, though, are you?"

Draco shook his head again and returned to his homework. It was hard to tell with Snape's dark eyes, but he would have sworn that the man's pupils were highly dilated after the dose he had just taken.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

In his room, Harry was sleeping fitfully. He has wandered around the rooms endlessly until he finally fell onto the settee with a heavy sigh. After he drifted to sleep, he began to toss and turn. Remus moved closer. It had been a few days since his last nightmare. The dark of the moon was past and his powers should be ebbing with the waxing moon. For a few minutes, Remus thought of fire-calling Severus; but he had been almost as surly as Harry and Remus hated to think how he would act if he were unnecessarily taken away from grading papers or organizing the next day's classwork.

oOoOo

Harry drifted into the dreamstate he had not been in for months …

… the slithering sound of scaly skin against the ground, vaguely sandpapery, soft and stealthy … Harry looked around in the white mist. He was alone. Where was the grey wolf? Where was Severus?

Laughter rang out and it chilled him to the bone even as it forged a blazing fire in his scar. Voldemort. Stumbling, he turned around rapidly, looking for the enemy. He couldn't find his wand … where was it?

The fog moved around him like a solid thing and Harry ran, to put distance between himself and Voldemort. He ran until his breath came in rasping gulps and he had to stop or collapse. His body shivered with fear and cold, while it felt as if a fire brand prodded his skull. He sank to the ground, holding his head

More laughter sounded nearby, and then his voice: "Foolissh boy. You cannot run from me. I can ssee you, feel you, at a mere thought. I might have lost two of my Inner Circle, but I sstill have my way into your mind … did you think I'd given up after all thiss time?"

The agony in his head forced a cry past Harry's blue lips …

oOoOo

Remus shifted on his feet as he looked down at Harry. A sweat had broken out on the boy and he shivered, even with the blanket pulled up firmly. He was holding his head in his sleep and Remus could see the lightening bolt scar standing out, inflamed, on the pale forehead. A Voldemort dream, then? Severus's temper be damned; he would call the man and deal with the fall out later. He hurried to the other room and squatted by the hearth. Throwing in a handful of Floo Powder, he took a deep breath. "Severus!" It seemed to be an overly long moment before there was an answer, and Remus had to hurriedly roll away from the fire when Severus stepped through instead of giving a voice reply.

oOoOo

Draco had left the classroom at last and Snape had gone into the laboratory. He had the ladle from the Pain Draught cauldron in his hand before he blinked and realized that he had moved to take another dose, an unmeasured dose, directly from the cauldron itself. He dropped the ladle and backed away, just as another searing pain ripped through his arm at the Dark Mark, and also his head, forcing down the shields he had kept firmly in place since his change back to human form. In the link, he heard Harry cry out in his own pain. Snape hurried back to his quarters and threw a handful of Floo Powder down, just as he heard Remus shouting through for him. Without answer, he stepped through, almost stumbling over the man as he rolled from in front of the hearth.

Without a word he strode into the other room, followed closely by Remus. They looked at the settee and then at each other. Harry was gone. Severus whirled around with an angry scowl, glaring. Remus backed up a step and said quickly, "He was just here! I left to go across and call you. He was asleep and dreaming."

"Of the Dark Lord?" Snape asked.

"His scar was red and he was holding his head …"

Severus looked around the room and then strode out to the hallway, looking both directions. Looking back at Remus, he looked expectant. "Well? Which way would he have gone?"

As Remus stood there, nose twitching to get a scent-fix, Severus closed his eyes and opened the link that he had slammed shut to try to mute the pain in both directions.

'_Harry? Where are you?'_ He staggered with the force of the pain that flooded his head, and grasped his burning forearm with his opposite hand. _'Harry, answer me!'_

Remus took off running down the corridor, Severus following, hoping that the werewolf's nose was accurate in human form.

Remus knew the halls well after the running duels that he and Harry had practiced. As he ran, following his nose and instincts, Severus lit his wand behind him with a _lumos_.

oOoOo

Harry ran again, the laughter following him through the whiteness. It was very disorienting with the surrounding clouds making the floor invisible, as well as the walls and whatever ceiling there might be. It was as if he were suspended in nothingness.

When he stopped, he heard the slithering whisper of something large, very near. In all the white, two red eyes appeared, followed by a grey, scaly face with slits for nostrils, mouth open in a leering grin, tongue flicking out as if to smell Harry.

"Sstill trying to hide? You can't hide from me anymore. You're as helplesss againsst me as you were againsst that abominable Muggle. He did me the favor of desstroying your ability to keep me out … we'll play a while longer, then you and I have a date for a lasst duel … no one will sstop me from rising to ssupreme power …"

Harry clapped his hands over his ears, trying to block out the hissing words. He had to keep running. The hideous laughter faded as another voice sounded close in his mind: _'Harry? Where are you? Harry answer me!'_

Harry began to run again. It was a trick …Voldemort was playing with him, just as he said. Harry knew that there was something he should remember, but he was confused and scared. All he knew was that he had to get away, keep moving, stay ahead of the voice and the noise that meant Voldemort was close.

oOoOo

Remus ran through the dark corridors, the light from Severus's _lumos_ throwing his shadow out before him. Stopping, he lifted his head to listen and test the air. Severus halted behind him, holding his breath so as not to make a sound. Remus turned and backtracked a few paces and then ran down a different hall.

Severus ignored the harsh beating of his heart, wanting only to find Harry and make sure he was alright. Remus stopped again, and he held his breath again, so he could listen. A jerk of Remus's head told Severus that he had heard something …

oOoOo

… Harry stopped, trying not to pant out loud. He forced himself to take slow deep breaths through his nose. If he were very quiet, Voldemort might, just might, move past him without knowing he was there. A vicious stab of pain in his scar made him whimper out loud before he could put his forearm in between his teeth and bite down. He had to stay quiet! Slowly, so as not to make a sound, Harry slid to whatever ground was underneath the fog. Drawing his legs up, he wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his face against his thighs. If he made himself as small as possible … if he stayed silent …

oOoOo

Remus held up a hand to stop Severus from even thinking about asking what was taking so long. He held his head tilted to the side one way, and then another. He had been down these passages with Harry. He knew the way they felt and smelled. When he and Harry were training, he had taught him to use his nose and the way the air vibrated to see what the eyes could not. He moved forward slowly, stalking the scent of Harry. On silent feet, he rounded a corner and stopped again.

In a small niche, he could see Harry huddled. The small light from Severus's wand did not seem to draw any reaction from him. His eyes were open, but unseeing.

Severus dropped down on one side of Harry and Remus on the other. When Severus put a hand on his shoulder, Harry shrieked and tried to rise up off the floor to run. Between the two of them, they kept him down. Severus wrapped his arms around him, feeling the pain in his own head as Voldemort pushed his way into Harry's mind.

'_Occlude, Harry. You must keep him out.'_

oOoOo

… In the whiteness, two figures appeared. The boy sat with his head on his legs and didn't see them until one had touched his shoulder. He screamed and tried to escape before realizing that it was Severus. He had come at last. The big grey wolf was there too, his nose pressing into Harry. Severus wrapped his arms around the boy and whispered, _'Occlude, Harry. You must keep him out.'_

'_I can't! I don't know how!'_

'_You do. You must.'_

Harry clung to Severus desperately. _'Help me!'_ His voice was so needful, so young …

oOoOo

Outside the dream, Severus raised Harry's chin so he could see into his eyes. With a firm push, he entered Harry's mind, and was plunged into the dream. The red eyes peered out of the mist, growing closer. Severus closed his own eyes and pulled up his shields against the Dark Lord. He heard a loud roar of rage as they snapped into place, blocking the nightmarish figure and his words.

Harry's rapid breathing gradually quieted as they sat, Harry against Severus's chest. Remus carded a hand through Harry's hair gently. Severus finally opened his eyes and stared at him. "I am Occluding for him. The Dark Lord has decided that it is now worth his while to get back into his mind."

"How long can you do that?" Remus asked.

Severus remembered back to the year before when he had occluded for Harry. A Sleep Jinx had caused him to fall asleep for only brief periods of time, and never long enough for his shields to fall. Severus had shielded him so that he could recover from deep sleep deprivation after the jinx was lifted. That had only involved some hours. Harry was able to Occlude on his own again when he awoke. This time, he was unsure. "He said he didn't know how to Occlude. Until he wakes up, I will not know if that was simply part of the nightmare, or if he really has blocked out the ability. His uncle's assault may have caused him to reject the idea of doing magic again."

Remus recalled the story of Harry's regression and his rejection of all magic during the summer past. He reached out to touch Harry again and Harry cried out softly. He was back to sleep with a hand clutching Severus's robe front. In his sleep he seemed even more vulnerable and young, while his features were tired and old.

Severus moved to stand up and Remus rose first, grasping his elbow to help him stand while holding Harry. Remus held a lighted wand this time, and led the way back through the maze of hallways.

Back in the rooms, Severus laid Harry down. He saw Prongs on the floor and picked the toy up. He held it up close and could feel that the magic had worn thin. Whispering a soft incantation, he breathed on the deer's soft plush. Before handing it back, he took note of the antler that appeared to have been chewed on. When he pulled the blanket up, he saw the teeth marks in Harry's arm. He locked eyes with Remus. Remus took hold of the arm and examined the mark.

"He did this to himself?" He looked down at Harry as he absently rubbed at the red skin.

Beside him, Severus closed his eyes, examining the inside of Harry's mind, even as he kept up the walls that prevented the Dark Lord from seeing in. A pained expression crossed his face and he sat down beside Harry, brushing his hand over the messy hair.

"You foolish boy … how could you think that?"

Remus pulled a chair over and waited for Severus to tell him what he saw. It was a while before Severus could find the words to describe what he had found.

"He is afraid that we will reject him if we know what was done to him. He is afraid of being seen as weak because he did not … could not fight off his uncle's assault. Because of that, he is afraid that he won't be strong enough to stop the Dark Lord when the time comes for him to. But most of all … he is afraid of being alone … now, and always … afraid that we will no longer care for him."

Remus let out a soft growl, "I think we may have to force him to voice these thoughts aloud. Perhaps he has been so distant to us because of what he thinks we will do if he is close to us."

Severus thought about that for awhile before nodding. He turned and looked intently at Remus. "You should know something … while I was possessed by the beithir, I apparently brewed an extremely strong Pain Relief Draught. I have still been using it as it contains ingredients that are quite addictive." He averted his eyes then. "I had not planned to tell you. But it seems that this addiction may not improve without help. Draco knows of it, though he believes that I didn't see him take a sample of the potion from my laboratory. The withdrawal period will likely be intense."

Remus reached out a hand and grasped Severus's, startling him. "We will weather it together. I will make sure Harry understands that your moodiness and actions are not because of him."

Severus looked relieved before he veiled the expression behind one of his frowns. Looking back down at Harry, he smoothed his hand over the boy's hair again. Harry's own frown seemed to smooth out at the touch. Severus hoped he would remember how to Occlude when he awoke. If he were to go through a detoxification, he would need to be able to have only his own mind to worry about.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

_**A/N**_

_This chapter was decidedly short on actual conversations, but I hope it was still alright for you. At least, I hope it tied up a few hanging threads for now!_

_Well, I know that I have been saying it every single time I post, but this really is the last chapter I have completed! I am still struggling with 36(it's at about 2800 words right now), so __**logicalquirk**__ hasn't gotten hold of it yet. The insights, suggestions and ideas from you, my readers and FP Group members, are helping and I do feel like the compass is pointing me in a good direction now. Keep the ideas coming, though! My plot bunny is quite hungry!_

_As I told __**KimInSpirit**__, it looks like __Search for His Soul__ just might be the last story in this trilogy, as they are tying themselves together when Miss Muse is working it all out! So if I seem to wait longer to post on that one, it's because I am trying to make sure of some details between them all. Hopefully, they will still be decent stand alone reads, but if it starts looking like one might spoil the other, I'll hold back on posting SFHS. The up side of that is that there will be an almost complete story to post when I do post SFHS!!_

 _nnie_


	36. Chapter 36

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 36

Knowing that Harry was being carefully watched, Snape returned to the dungeons. For a long while he stood looking down at the seemingly innocent potion. The papaver level in the brew had been staggeringly high when he tested it out. The chances of him withdrawing without slowly lowering his consumption were low. His plan to simply stop taking it and banish it away would have to be altered. Getting out a box of single dose vials, he filled them. Locking them back in the box, he then emptied the cauldron of the remaining potion and cleaned it.

Going back through the floo, he handed Remus the box. "The amount of addictive ingredient is too high for me to stop taking this altogether. I am charging you with allowing me a steadily declining supply until it is gone. I have had one vial today."

With that admission, he whirled away from Remus and went to stand over Harry.

Harry had Prongs right up against his face as he slept, looking peaceful for a change.

Remus unlocked the box of vials and counted them. Pulling out parchment, he drew up a calendar to note the days and then noted how many vials would be allowed on each day. If he allowed four vials today, and decreased the vials by one every two days, there was enough for a week and a half. He presented the schedule to Severus and commented, "That's just enough time for you to be clear of it by the next full moon."

Severus snapped his head up. There was still that consideration. If he had been infected, he would be transforming right along with Remus, unless Wolfsbane worked for him as well. Until the time came, there was no way of determining how being a beithir might have affected that, or if the werewolf curse had been eliminated with the elimination of the beithir. With a nod, he said, "I will make the double supply this month, as you suggested."

Remus took back the schedule and locked the box in his trunk in the other room.

When Harry woke up, he saw that Remus was sitting on the sofa reading. Severus was silently prowling the room. Harry watched from under his lashes for a few minutes. Remus looked up at Severus when there was a low oath heard as he passed by.

"Do you want the next dose now?"

Severus stopped and looked at him intently, jaw muscle twitching. He seemed undecided and then finally ran a hand over his face. "No. It's too early. I'll wait until the proper time has passed. It has to be bourn."

He looked at Harry as Harry pushed himself to a sitting position. "What has to be

bourn?"

Severus sat down next to him and put the back of his hand to Harry's forehead. Satisfied, he answered, "Nothing that need concern you. How are you feeling?"

Harry considered and then said, "I feel like I've gotten some good sleep finally."

Remus got up and pulled the chair over to sit in. "Good; because we all need to talk."

Harry recoiled at that. "I don't want to talk about what happened. I just want to forget it."

"Harry, you need to let out how you feel so you can truly heal. We will not judge you. What happened was beyond your control." Remus had put a hand on the settee, leaning towards Harry.

Harry plucked at imaginary lint on the blanket. "I didn't think that you would."

Severus frowned. "You should know that right now, I am Occluding for you. I had to be

in your mind to do that. I have seen what you are feeling and thinking."

Harry's face burned. "Then there's no need to talk about it, is there." He said it as a statement, and not as a question.

Remus sighed. "But there is a need. You must come to terms with it yourself, and you can only do that by talking it out. You need to get to a place where you can do your own Occluding again."

His voice was almost too low for them to hear, when he finally began to speak minutes later. Remus and Severus had to move closer to hear him. Harry managed to tell them what had happened in the Great Hall; Draco trying to shield him from Lucius, Lucius striking Draco. Furious, Harry had lashed out at Lucius, sending him across the room. When he admitted that he had hoped Lucius was dead by his hand, Remus moved to sit beside him, putting a comforting arm around the stiff shoulders.

Harry swallowed and took some deep breaths before he continued; telling them that the mask Lucius had been wearing was a portkey. When he landed, he found himself in the

Malfoy dungeons, and Uncle Vernon there.

Harry struggled to go on with the telling, his trembling becoming as if he had been immersed in ice water. Remus slid a leg around him and the pulled him back into a strong embrace, his soothing wolf chuffs gradually relaxing the tension in Harry's body somewhat. Harry reached up and put his hand in Remus's hair, a gesture that Remus knew made him feel more secure. With his other hand, he reached out for Severus and Severus took it readily, holding it tightly in both of his.

"Uncle Vernon … he beat me and I couldn't stop him. It seemed like my magic was frozen and I couldn't do anything against him … then … I didn't know anything could hurt like … what he did … not even _Crucio_ hurts like that did … I kept calling in my mind for someone, anyone, to come and help me."

He stopped, breathing hard and leaning into Remus. Remus rested his chin on Harry's shoulder, arms securing him back against his chest. For a few minutes, Harry just sat and let the warmth of Remus against his back and the warmth of Severus's hands try to melt the icy feeling inside him.

"I thought I was dreaming when Professor Dumbledore was suddenly there … maybe I was even dying, I don't know. Then I thought I saw … but my glasses were gone, so it couldn't have been right … I saw a werewolf over Dumbledore's shoulder. I didn't know he was strong enough to pick anybody up, but he was picking me up and carrying me out … and I was hurting, but I was so glad that even if I was dreaming or dying, someone had come and maybe Uncle Vernon wouldn't hurt me anymore …"

Tears were rolling down Harry's face and Severus pulled a hand free to gently wipe some of them away with a thumb, cupping Harry's cheek in his palm. In his ear, Remus whispered, "He can't ever hurt you again, cub. He's dead and he will never touch you again."

Harry leaned into the hand on his face and opened his eyes to look at Severus. Severus nodded that this was true and Harry pulled himself out of Remus's arms to launch himself forward into Severus. Severus caught him and held him tightly as Harry sobbed brokenly.

The three of them sat there, Harry crying, the men looking at each other over his head, hoping that the retelling and the assurances of Dursley's death would be enough to pull the boy back from his determination to be free of his existence.

The retelling exhausted Harry and he went back to sleep, hugging Prongs in place of Severus or Remus. The two men sat sipping tea, trying to find the words they needed. Finally, Severus opened the conversation. "He will need a psychological healer. I will consult with Madame Pomfrey and then go to St. Mungo's."

"I agree. Talking to us is not enough in itself to help him get over this. Make sure it's someone who …" Remus's voice drifted off and he looked uncomfortable.

Severus looked at him sharply. "Someone who what, exactly?"

Remus cleared his throat and said firmly, "Make sure it's not someone who is a potential spy for Voldemort, someone who would not want to exploit tales of Harry for profit, someone who is not absolutely the best at whatever a psychological healer is supposed to do."

"Do you think, for one second, that I will not make very sure of all that and more? I, more than anyone else, know what dangers there are in securing this kind of help for him." He paused then and speared Remus with a fierce scowl. "While I am gone, see if you can't get him to do something, anything, besides pace this room." With that, he stood up and strode from the room with long strides.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Severus spoke to several healers by the end of the day, none of whom he trusted to take on the task of being Harry's psychological healer. By the time he returned to Harry's rooms, he was mass of trembling nerves, his joints aflame and his temper frayed. Remus saw his perspiring face and immediately went to his trunk, returning with a vial of the Pain Relief Potion. Severus opened it and quickly swallowed the contents.

Harry was sitting at the desk, a quill in his hand, and he watched all this. When Severus sat down and rubbed a hand over his face, he got up and went to him, laying a hand on his arm. Severus jumped in surprise, causing Harry to jerk his hand away. Scowling, Severus turned away, missing the hurt look on Harry's face. Remus stopped him and jerked his head silently towards Harry.

Severus turned back, and saw that Harry had gone over to the settee. He was now holding Prongs, absently stroking the toy. With a sigh, Severus rubbed his tired eyes and went to sit beside him. "I apologize. I am not feeling well."

Harry looked up in concern. "You're sick?"

Severus shook his head. "No, not sick." At Harry's puzzled expression, he continued, "I am trying to withdraw myself from a powerful potion. The result is making me short-tempered and disagreeable."

Harry raised his eyebrows, obviously battling with himself about what to say. Finally, he burst out, "How is that so different for you?"

Severus opened his mouth and then shut it with a snap as Remus laughed out loud. His face darkened and his frown deepened, and Harry thought he had probably overstepped the boundaries. But then Severus relaxed, the potion dose working to ease the tension he had been feeling. If Harry could make a joke at this point, he was willing to be the butt of it.

He smirked at Harry and ruffled his already messy hair. With a mocking voice he said, "I'll have you know that my demeanor of late has been quite a bit more caustic than usual. Many a student has lost house points over the last days."

Harry had caught on that Severus was willing to be a part of the joke and he grinned. "Again, I ask; how is that so different for you?"

Severus gave a growl and pulled Harry into a hug. "Brat. I am very glad to hear you make jokes, even at my expense."

Harry gently pulled himself away, as if not wanting to make Severus angry. Severus sighed and said, "I know you are disinclined to touching right now. I apologize."

Harry shook his head quickly, "No, it's just that you surprised me, that's all." He reached out tentatively and added, "I like it when you hug me. I just have to know it's coming so I can be ready."

Severus nodded. "I understand. I'll attempt to curtail my overwhelming displays of affection." He gave Harry a small smile when he saw the small one on Harry's face.

Remus watched all of this with amusement and some relief that Harry was able to engage in joking talk and behavior.

After a moment, Severus held out his hand to Harry, waiting for him to take it if he chose. Harry looked up at him, and after another moment he took the offered hand. Severus squeezed it and smiled gently. It was a strange expression and Harry couldn't help but stare up at the man who had always worn nothing but menacing expressions since he had known him.

Severus quirked an eyebrow at Harry's intent stare, and then said softly, "I do have a purpose in trying to help you be comfortable, Harry. We need to see if you are able to Occlude on your own. I will have to take a potion to stay awake if you are unable to handle your own shielding."

Harry flushed slightly and lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry I'm such trouble."

Severus gave his hand another squeeze. "You are not. I did not intend to hint that you are. It is a simple matter of letting me see inside your mind and watch as you raise your own shields to Occlude. I am confident that you can do so."

Harry was not at all confident, and the thought that Severus would see that feeling inside his mind again made him queasy. With a jerky indrawn breath he raised his eyes to Severus and allowed him eye contact.

Severus attempted to be as gentle and non-threatening as he could as he entered Harry's thoughts. Through their link, he spoke, _'I am Occluding the Dark Lord for you. You will need to be occluding before I can turn it over to you.'_

He waited for Harry to show him that he was raising the subconscious defensive walls. It was some minutes later before there was a sudden shove in his own mind that signaled Harry's success. He slowly backed his efforts away until he was only shielding his own mind. Harry's was closed to him.

They looked at each other and Harry asked, "Am I doing it on my own?"

Severus answered through the link first. _'Yes.'_ But when Harry didn't hear him, he responded aloud, "Yes, you are Occluding on your own. The link is closed. Do you find it necessary to close it in order to Occlude?"

Harry appeared deep in thought and then shook his head. "I can't feel the difference right now. If I Occlude, I can't speak in my head." He looked worried and asked, "Will I be able to talk to you again in my head? I don't want to lose that!"

Severus squeezed the hands he still held. "I believe that you will progress quickly. You had forgotten how. Now that you are remembering again, it will become easier."

Remus sat down then and Harry turned to look at him. Remus said softly, "Severus saw earlier in your mind that you are afraid that we would abandon you, once we know what happened to you."

Harry frowned and looked away before giving a short nod. "I wouldn't blame you. I'm supposed to be strong enough to defeat Voldemort someday. I couldn't even stop a Muggle. Why would you keep putting hope in me after that?"

Remus leaned toward him as Severus tightened the grip on his hands. "Harry, Lucius Malfoy had such strong wards on his dungeons that even Albus couldn't break them. His wards prevented anyone but him from using magic there."

Harry looked between them both, his eyes hopeful and then narrowing suspiciously. "You're just saying that so I won't worry about how I froze up."

Remus shook his head. "Draco confirmed it. His father had the dungeons spelled so strongly that you wouldn't have been able to use magic in a less difficult situation."

"Then how did it happen? How was I rescued?"

Severus pulled his attention back to him when he spoke in a low measured voice. "I was able to remember from years ago, when Lucius and I were real friends, that he told me about spending almost a half million galleons on goblin security at the Manor. He bragged that the wards on the dungeons were unbreakable, set to fail only at his death."

Harry stared at him for a long time and then asked, "So he's dead, too?"

Severus nodded. "When I remembered … the _beithir béimneach _took care of him."

Remus added softly, "Draco had got us into the manor. Albus and I were trying everything we knew to disable the wards, so we could get to you. His mother was there, and she and Draco felt the wards go down. As soon as they did, Albus and I got you out."

Harry looked lost in thought for a long time as he processed what they had told him. When he looked up, his eyes were shining and his chin quivered. "You both killed someone … for me …"

Severus didn't wait for Harry to allow it; he just pulled him firmly into an embrace. "We would do it again. Our regret, our _only_ regret, is that it was too late to keep you from the torment you endured." He felt Harry put his arms around his waist. "Nothing will ever cause us to abandon you, Harry. Remember the First Prophecy?" Harry nodded against him. "I will be here; doing whatever it takes to help you get ready to face the Dark Lord."

Remus put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I am here, too."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Remus had talked Harry into writing an essay on The Possible Effects of the Lunar Cycle On Magic. He turned over several books he had used for his own research into Harry's magic.

"By doing your own research, you will understand better what it is you have. We will be able to work much better to learn how to get it under better control."

Harry had agreed, not because he was eager to get back to school work, but because he wanted to do anything that kept his mind free of recent events. In spite of the reassurances Severus and Remus had given him, he still felt overwhelmed with just existing. A part of him still wanted to be free of it, and free of the responsibility of his destiny.

In fact, the thought of going back to class, everyone knowing about what had happened, how he had failed to counter a Muggle attack, made him nauseous. He swallowed hard against the bitter taste of bile when the thought of attending regular class crept into his head.

Remus came into the room quickly. He had been poking around in the old books in the old office. He had a stack of them in his hands and was flipping through one of them as he made his way back to his room. Just outside the door, he heard Harry's groan.

"Harry? What is it?"

Harry looked up at Remus with a sickly expression. "I – I was just thinking of how it would be when I have to go back to real class … I can't do it … please say I don't have to …" With that, he turned his head and bent over, vomiting onto the floor.

Remus put the books down and scourgified the floor quickly. He put a hand to Harry's head for a moment and then drew him to stand up and walk over to the settee. He sat him down and gently pushed him to lie down. Harry shivered and closed his eyes, fighting off another wave of nausea.

Going to the shelf of potions, Remus chose a dose of Calming Draught, and another of a kind that relieved upset stomachs. Harry took them without question when Remus pressed the vials to his lips.

Harry reached for Prongs and the blanket draped over the back of the settee. Without further word, he curled himself into a ball and went to sleep.

Remus just stopped himself from brushing his hand over Harry's hair. He recognized that Harry's desire for sleep was a sign of depression and a way of avoiding reality. He was sinking even deeper, even though he had unburdened himself to Severus and Remus. It hadn't been enough, that was clear. He was making himself ill just thinking about continuing with normal, everyday activities.

Remus was sitting in a chair at the side of the settee, eyes fixed on a sleeping Harry, when Severus came through the floo and into the room. He looked from Harry to Remus for a moment before saying, "I came for my dose of potion. I will not be a pleasant person for the rest of my classes unless I have it."

Remus gave him an uplifted eyebrow as an acknowledgment of the small joke Severus had made. Severus was sitting in the chair Remus had vacated to go get the potion when he returned. He was resting his elbows on his knees leaning his head against templed fingers, as he stared at Harry. After a few minutes, he stood.

"He is Occluding well, even in his sleep." He took the dose vial and drained it quickly. Fixing Harry with another long gaze, he said to Remus, "Albus wishes to see all of us in his office tonight. He insists on speaking with Harry himself."

Remus shook his head, "He's not ready."

"I know. Albus will have to weather it, since he won't take no for an answer."

The two men each had their own private words for the Headmaster; ones that neither wished to say aloud. Both hoped that the evening would be kind to Harry.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

_A/N:_

_papaver somniferum-poppy: opiate plant. This is what I can envision__Snape using to increase the potency of a potion he needs for himself. _

_All the effects related to how a person might react in response to abuse are true to life. This kind of trauma takes a very long time to get over, and while I do not intend to belabor it in this fic, I cannot gloss over it either. Dealing with it will make them all stronger in the end, as they need to be. Please bear with me. _

_If you know or suspect that a child is being verbally, physically, or emotionally abused or neglected, it is your duty and responsibility to report it to the authorities. Only then can they be rescued from their own private hell. Listen to your heart…save a child. In most places, your report is anonymous. Following an investigation, appropriate actions will be taken to safeguard the victim. Remember that victims of domestic and child abuse are often silent, believing that they are 'stuck' in the situation and/or deserve the treatment they are victims of. Speak up!! You may make the difference in their life!_


	37. Chapter 37

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 37

Harry was very vocal about his unwillingness to go to the Headmasters office. Both Remus and Severus had a difficult time keeping the surprise off their faces at the choice words Harry used to vent his feelings about the meeting. Finally, Remus insisted that he take a dose of Calming Draught. After another fifteen minutes, Harry was noticeably less anxious, but he still glared daggers at them, arms crossed sullenly over his chest.

The sullen distance he was using disappeared the moment they stepped through the floo and onto Dumbledore's hearth. Professor McGonagall was also there, as were Ron and Hermione.

When Hermione went to step towards him, Harry moved to stand against Severus, his hand grasping at his robe sleeve.

There was an awkward moment before Dumbledore cleared his throat and spoke, "I thought you might like to see your friends in a less public setting, Harry. Tea and sandwiches should be here momentarily." He waved everyone to the scattered chairs and everyone but Harry, Severus and Remus sat down slowly.

Severus put an arm around Harry's shoulders and asked quietly, "Can you stay for just a few minutes?"

Harry let go of Severus's sleeve. With slow stiff steps, he went to sit on the edge of the squishy sofa. Severus sat down beside him; Remus perching himself on the arm of the sofa on the other side of him.

Ron and Hermione were watching Harry with caution, after his reception of Hermione's advances. They, at least, immediately understood that this had not been something Harry had agreed to. Hermione looked as if she was working out a puzzle in her mind and she was biting her lower lip in thought.

Dumbledore took the tray that appeared in front of him and began to pass it around the circle. No one took anything from it. He took a sandwich himself before the tray vanished with a puff. His eyes were watching Harry, but observing everyone's reactions to him as well.

The silence grew heavy and Severus exchanged a look with Remus before gently nudging Harry to sit back. Harry shrugged off the touch irritably and Severus took a slow deep breath. He locked eyes with Dumbledore, telling him silently that this was wrong, a bad idea, and needed to come to a quick end. Dumbledore gave him a small shake of his head. Severus saw that the Headmaster really felt like he was doing the best thing for Harry and he remained intent on forcing Harry back into a social setting with his friends.

In a conversational tone, Dumbledore addressed Harry, "Harry, perhaps you'd like to ask your friends how classes are going and what you might be missing."

Severus could feel a temperature spike around the boy next to him, in spite of the fact that it was past the new moon time and well into three-quarters. The spike of heat dropped, but Harry's voice showed his anger was not abating. "I'm not missing anything because I don't care how classes are going."

Dumbledore pressed on, "Surely you have missed the companionship of your two best friends and have something you'd like to ask them or share with them?"

Harry began to tremble, and Severus thought it was from anger, but with the closed link he couldn't be certain. Several tense moments passed and then Harry looked at Dumbledore. In a low voice, he asked, "You want me to share with them, Professor? You want me to tell them what happened? Do you think that will help the poor damaged Boy Who Lived work out his problems and come skipping back to class like nothing was wrong?"

Severus and Remus looked at each other in alarm at the words and the cool tone Harry used. Severus put an arm around Harry and was shrugged off angrily again. Harry locked eyes with Dumbledore, and for a few moments, Severus saw satisfaction in the old man's face. It changed to something else, though, as Harry continued to speak.

"My _friends_ wouldn't ask me to tell them something I didn't want to tell." He sent Dumbledore a mental image of Vernon Dursley beating a very young dark haired boy.

"My _friends_ would know that I need more time." He sent a mental image of being thrown into the cupboard under the stairs hard enough to break an arm and left in darkness.

"My _friends_ tried to get me out of that hell hole when they suspected what was happening years ago." He sent an image of Hedwig bringing wrapped packages of food, and the twins and Ron pulling the bars off his window with the flying car.

Severus was seeing the images as Harry flashed them across to Dumbledore, the link between them open as Harry forced his recalled memories on Dumbledore. The others heard only the words, but they knew that something else was passing across the room. Dumbledore tried to stop Harry, but the smaller wizard was now intent on turning the tables on the old man.

"My _friends_ wanted me to tell you how much I hated it at that house so you wouldn't make me go back …" He flashed images of himself asking Dumbledore if he had to go to the Dursley's, if he couldn't just stay at Hogwarts or go to the Burrow instead. "… but I had done that and it got me nowhere. So I stopped trying to tell you something you wouldn't listen to."

"My _friends_ couldn't have done anything else other than what they did, so why would I want to let them see what couldn't be avoided?" Now he sent images of a boy in over-sized ragged clothes scrubbing the floor on hands and knees; cooking in a kitchen while someone behind him hit him with a long cane; covered with sweat and dirt, dizzy from dehydration while laboring under a hot summer sun in the yard, a fat boy and his cohorts chunking dirt clods at his head and laughing.

Harry stood up then, his green eyes furious and intent on the blue ones of Dumbledore. "My _friends_ would have made sure that the safe house I was in was really safe and not the nightmare it was." Harry sent a vivid image of being abused and assaulted repeatedly by the man to whom Dumbledore had entrusted him, while the woman who was his mother's sister turned a blind eye and deaf ear to what went on under her roof, afraid for herself.

Dumbledore reeled back with the force of the last brutal images and he reached out a hand to Harry. Harry was shaking with heavy breaths as he glared. "My _friends_ would have cared when it mattered."

With that final word Harry ran to the fireplace and grabbed the floo powder. His hands were shaking so badly that he couldn't hold it in his fingers. Something like a cornered animal sound rose out of his throat, and Remus was there in an instant, putting an arm around him, throwing the powder and stepping into the flames with Harry held tight against him.

Dumbledore had stood up, looking like he would stop Harry, but McGonagall had halted his progress herself.

Severus stood up then, glaring at his mentor. "Did you accomplish your purpose, Headmaster?"

McGonagall looked at the silent and pale Hermione and Ron. "You two are dismissed. I'll speak to you later."

The air was thick with tension after the two hurried out the door. Severus crossed his arms over his chest and kept up his silent disapproving glare at Dumbledore. Finally, the older man seemed to slouch slightly in defeat.

"I thought that being with his friends would be a remedy for his self-enforced solitude."

"I told you that he was not ready."

"I saw it as being over-protective."

"He _needs_ protecting right now. As you plainly _saw_, he is struggling to overcome not just one episode of abuse, but years of torture. The few days since this last rescue are hardly enough time for him to get over what happened."

Dumbledore began a slow pace of the room, his face sad. "I wanted him to be safe from Voldemort as he grew up."

"Safe from the Dark Lord he may have been; but not from hateful Muggles."

"I always assumed he over exaggerated the situation."

"But you did not think to check."

"His mother's sister's blood should have protected him –"

"It protected him only from magical evil intent." Severus tired of the verbal sparring and sighed heavily, dropping his crossed arm stance. "I was immersed in my own hatred for his father, certain that he was being coddled like an exiled prince. I, too, should have checked. I owe his father a life debt." He stared into the flames of the fire and said softly, "I should have checked."

After a long silence, McGonagall broke it by saying gently, "Any one of us could have, should have checked, once he voiced complaints about returning there. We did not, and we cannot change it now. Harry needs support in dealing with the aftermath. It was quite obvious that he can't go back to being a student yet."

Dumbledore nodded, "Yes. I see that now. But what of his destiny? He must have the knowledge and training to defeat Voldemort."

Silence filled the room again, only the crackling of the fire breaking it. Finally, Dumbledore sighed. "He must go away from here."

Both Severus and McGonagall looked at him sharply. He was rubbing his beard thoughtfully and nodding to himself. "Yes, a long sabbatical may be what he needs."

Severus drew himself up, his face thunderous. "I will not just send him away somewhere."

Dumbledore held up a belaying hand, stopping the coming tirade. "Of course not, Severus. I would not think to send him alone. It will take a little time, of course, but once I procure a replacement Potions teacher, I will send you to my own retreat. It is well warded … remote enough …yes." He nodded to himself. "It will do nicely."

He looked up out of his thoughts to see both Severus and McGonagall staring at him, waiting for explanations. He gave a small sad smile at them. "Severus, you and Harry, and Remus if he's willing, will go to my Mediterranean villa. With enough time, perhaps he will heal, at least enough to come back to Hogwarts." In his mind, he added so that only Severus heard, _'Long enough to defeat Voldemort.'_

Severus cursed him silently for the necessary selfishness of the thought, knowing that it was true, even if not in the best interests of the boy who had been shattered and his mind sundered by his life.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

When Remus stepped through the floo with Harry, the teenager ripped himself away and ran down the hall, Remus following. Harry stopped in their dueling room and drew his wand. Remus stood in the door as Harry fired hex after hex, curse after curse, at the pillars, statues, piles of rubble, and then at random parts of the ceiling and walls.

Harry's face was contorted in a teeth-baring grimace as he viciously slashed his wand through the air. With a snarl, he threw the wand away from him and fired more hexes with his hands outstretched. He cast until the magic was depleted and he couldn't cast anymore. Then he made his way to a wall and began to rain fisted blows on it.

Remus stepped up to him, stopping him from making a bigger bloody mess of his knuckles. Harry struggled weakly against the hands restraining him, but then, all the strength seeming to leave him, he collapsed against Remus in tears. Remus put strong arms around him, swaying in a soothing motion as he made calming growls in Harry's ear.

His legs buckled as Remus began to lead him back to his own rooms and Remus scooped him up against his chest. Wordlessly, he carried Harry back to his settee and laid him down. Picking up Prongs, he pressed him into Harry's hands. He went to the shelves and brought back a Dreamless Sleep dose. Harry made no protest, but took it obediently when Remus tipped it into his mouth. Remus crawled onto the settee and stretched out behind him, putting his arms around him again. Harry reached back and closed his hand in Remus's hair, pulling him closer. He fell asleep to Remus's soft growls over his shoulder.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

When Severus arrived later, Remus untangled Harry from his hair and carefully stood up. They both looked down at him for a good while before Remus asked, "Is Dumbledore sorry now?"

"More than you'd think. Harry was blasting visions of his wretched life at him as he was talking. He wielded his power of Legilimency like a weapon, forcing Albus to see just what he had endured."

"Did you know he could do that?" Remus asked in surprise.

"No. The only one I ever knew who could force another to see what is in their own mind is the Dark Lord. Harry has shown me things when I've asked him to and I was open to it. But I would not have thought his abilities would allow him to force images into another powerful wizard's mind."

"I suppose we should be grateful that it is not the new moon, then."

"Indeed, if that would increase his power." He looked over at Remus. "What happened when you got here?"

"Harry ran to the dueling practice area and blasted everything in sight, threw his wand away and continued blasting with his hands until he was magically depleted. Then he started hitting the walls with his fists until I stopped him."

Severus looked down at the bloody knuckles on the hand gripping Prongs. Pulling out his own wand he touched each knuckle, healing it with a muttered spell. Harry murmured in his sleep and Severus closed his eyes for a moment. Opening them, he said, "He is still Occluding, so he must not be totally depleted. Did you give him Dreamless Sleep?"

Remus nodded. Severus sat down and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Looking back at Remus, he said tiredly, "We're taking him to a villa on the Mediterranean. At least I am. Albus wants you to go too, if you are willing. Harry will have the time and seclusion he needs while we tutor him, and continue his training. Albus hopes that he will be well enough to return in the new year."

Remus looked thoughtful for a time. "I need to get back to Portugal, at least for a time. If the werewolf clans believe I've given up on them, they might decide to turn to the dark."

"If you need more Wolfsbane to entice them, I'll brew whatever you might want."

The offer surprised Remus. Severus had always supplied his needed doses, rarely missing a month, but always with a grudge and snide remarks. He had never offered to make more than what was necessary for Remus alone. "That would be … that would be much appreciated. Thank you."

The gratitude in Remus's eyes made Severus uncomfortable, reminding him even more of how meanly he had dealt with the man all these years. He narrowed his eyes and added snidely, "I can't supply the whole continent, mind you."

Remus understood the need for Severus to be reserved. The man had never been open with his feelings, even back when he was the brunt of jokes and pranks. The coldness was a façade, and Remus had seen the real Severus after all theses years. He had seen the man who was capable of holding a teenage boy in his arms and forget that the boy's father had been one of the pranksters. He had seen honestly tender feelings in his face when he thought he was not being watched. He heard the careful way he talked to Harry, mindful of Harry's needs and feelings. He had been like a father Harry had never had, and possibly a better one than James ever would have been.

Solemnly, Remus replied, "Whatever you supply, Severus, will be used most wisely, I assure you."

Severus nodded and went back to rubbing the bridge of his nose. Remus wordlessly fetched the next dose of Pain Relief Potion. They both knew that the interval before the next dose would be longer now.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

When Harry awoke, he remembered the scene in Dumbledore's office and the horrors he had made the Headmaster see in his mind. As he came more fully awake, he curled up tighter into a ball, his insides roiling. Everyone would hate him now, that was for sure. Only a very bad person would send the revolting sights he had sent. He had somehow known just how to force those most disgusting images, dredged from his store of terrors, into even the mind of a strong wizard like the Professor.

Instead of letting his tears fall or make a sound, he bit down hard on the antlers of the toy in his hands. It was better to hide his weaknesses. He was going to have to deal with this alone. Harry knew that Severus had seen the images he threw at Dumbledore and he was most likely furious with him for doing it. But the need to lash out and make the old wizard finally see what it had been like all these years just became overwhelming when he dared to try and make Harry talk about it casually to everyone like that. Harry closed his eyes, thinking about Ron and Hermione. They had been petrified by what happened; Harry had felt it clearly while he was consumed with making Dumbledore see those terrible things. Harry was glad that Ron and Hermione had not been able to see them. They had probably really wanted to see him, but they never would have forced him into it. Having them know the extent of what happened was not something he wanted. How could he ever look them in the face again if they knew … if anyone knew, they would never believe that he was destined to destroy Voldemort. He didn't even believe it himself anymore. Merlin was wrong. The prophecies had to be wrong also.

He rocked himself as he lay in the tight curled position. His stomach hurt. His throat hurt from keeping the tears and the cries trying to get free. He wouldn't cry … he wouldn't cry … he repeated the mantra over and over.

Remus came into the room and noticed Harry rocking, eyes shut tight, lips moving soundlessly. When he laid a hand on his shoulder, Harry almost fell off the settee as he jerked away from him.

"Harry, are you alright?" Remus asked in concern.

Harry pushed himself upright, face red from embarrassment. "I'm alright. You just startled me."

"Were you having a nightmare? Do you need a potion?"

Harry shook his head, not meeting Remus's eyes. "No. More like a never-ending bad dream. Nothing will help"

Remus sat down beside him and waited for Harry to look at him. "You can talk to me about anything; you know that, don't you?"

Harry nodded in a quick jerky way that told Remus he wouldn't talk to him at all if he could help it. Remus added, "Severus is a pretty good listener. Maybe you'd rather talk to him." Harry shrugged. Remus gave his knee a quick pat and stood up. "Well, no hurry. When you're ready, we'll be here." Harry looked at him silently and Remus said, "We're not leaving you, Harry; no matter what you say or do, no matter what has been done to you."

He left Harry alone to think, but checked back every few minutes, looking into the room in such a way that Harry wouldn't feel spied upon. Remus decided that getting away from here would be a very good thing, if it enabled Harry to heal more than he had been able to here.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Dumbledore was able to get Horace Slughorn to cover the Potions classes for an indefinite period, although the rotund professor made it clear that his preference would be to leave at the new year.

Severus had the other professors compile lesson plans and texts that Harry would need for the duration of their retreat. He and Remus agreed to split the lessons, and both of them would train Harry in their own strengths. Neither of them spoke about what they would do if Harry refused to follow their lead in resuming lessons and training once they were away from Hogwarts. They both knew that it would be a difficult process, for which they were ill-prepared. They hoped that they would be strong enough to give the boy back the strength he needed. For themselves, they gathered books about Muggle psychology as well as magical psychiatric practices. Other attempts at finding a psychiatric healer had not produced anyone Severus trusted with the mind he was supposed to be guarding.

On the last day that Severus was teaching Potions, Draco and Hermione stayed behind after dismissal. Ron ran in the door, breathless from dashing all the way from his last class. Severus raised an eyebrow in question as they all approached his desk.

Draco said, "We know you're taking Harry away for a while. Professor Dumbledore called us all into his office a few days ago."

Ron shuffled his feet and then looked at Severus. "After the last time we saw him … we'd like to say good-bye, but we know it would be too hard for him. Would you tell him that we miss him; and that he's our mate, no matter what?"

Severus nodded solemnly. "I will do that. Harry doesn't realize that he needs you right now. But when he does, I will make sure he knows that you are here waiting for him."

Hermione stepped forward and handed him a wrapped package in the shape of a book. "I don't know if you remember that my mother volunteered at a shelter that helped abused women and children. I owled Flourish and Blotts and they looked up some books for me, even though they're Muggle. This is one that I remember my mum reading when she was studying how to help …" she broke off, seeing Severus's frown, thinking he was angry.

He could not help thinking about Ellen, remembering how the priest at their funeral service had spoken about her work at the shelter; how much she did to try and ease the suffering of the victims of domestic abuse. He looked at Hermione's face, pale with apprehension. Schooling his features, he took the book from her. "I am certain this will be most helpful, Miss Granger. Thank you."

All three teens breathed a sigh of relief and they quietly walked out, leaving Severus holding the book, and the knowledge that Harry's friends were still there for him.

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**A/N:**

_If you know or suspect that a child is being verbally, physically, or emotionally abused or neglected____it is your duty and responsibility to report it to the authorities__. Only then can they be rescued from their own private hell. Listen to your heart…save a child. In most places, your report is anonymous. Following an investigation, appropriate actions will be taken to safeguard the victim. Remember that victims of domestic and child abuse are often silent, believing that they are 'stuck' in the situation and/or deserve the treatment they are victims of. __Speak up!!__ You may make the difference in their life!_

_There are women all over the world who are victims as well. There are even a few instances of men being the victims of domestic abuse. Just like the children, they are often made to feel they have no recourse and that they deserve whatever hell they are living in. If you suspect that a friend, relative, or acquaintance is in this situation, let them know that you will help them. __Give them a life line!_

_Thank you for reading this story and allowing me to have a little soapbox time for this important message. _

_Thank you to my special beta, __**logicalquirk,**__ for taking the time during these last few weeks of school to proof the chapters I've been sending. She has been nice enough to make time for me while she has been revising her own studies!_

_There are lots of new members of the yahoo group and I welcome you all! If you have a topic to discuss regarding the story…send it in! Let's liven it up!_


	38. Chapter 38

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 38

Severus sent one last message to Draco, Ron and Hermione before leaving with Harry and Remus: write to Harry often; keep him connected with you by sending him news and asking inconsequential questions. Don't press him for answers, and don't expect them; but keep communicating with him, and let him know he is not forgotten.

Harry now stood on the hearth in Dumbledore's office, his trunk beside Severus's. Remus had already taken his own trunk through the floo and was now going through with a trunk of school books and supplies.

When he appeared again, Severus took his and Harry's through. Harry stood silently, eyes downcast, unwilling to look at Dumbledore after what had happened. Dumbledore came to stand in front of him and spoke softly, "I am so sorry, my boy. I pushed you to do what you were not ready for. I hope that with time you will forgive a foolish old man his mistakes."

Harry looked up into the blue eyes then, and didn't try to hold back his expression of resentment. He felt like they were all having to go to a lot of trouble for him and he hated knowing he was inconveniencing them. But Dumbledore … he had placed Harry with the Dursley's. Maybe if he had never been there, his life wouldn't be so screwed up now. Maybe he could have been a normal person …

He felt Severus touch him then and he stepped back, before looking up. Severus was frowning slightly, but all he said was, "It's time to say goodbye now."

Harry looked at Dumbledore again, and then wordlessly went to stand beside Remus. He had nothing to say to Dumbledore.

Remus gave Dumbledore a nod and then looked at Harry. "Ready?" At Harry's nod, he pulled him beside himself and threw down more floo powder. Harry had not heard them saying a destination when they had gone before, and this time was no different.

Stepping out into an unfamiliar room, Harry almost had to shade his eyes. Everything was bright, white and light colors, and sun-filled. He walked around slowly, noting the billowing gauzy curtains over sliding glass doors, white sailcloth covered sofas and soft chairs, light oak tables, and accent pieces that were solid, but at the same time not heavy like the furniture in the castle. Their trunks sat grouped by a hallway that led to more rooms and a stairway.

Harry went to the sliding glass doors and walked out onto a shaded veranda. His breath seemed to catch in his chest at the beauty before him. The scenery outside Hogwarts was impressive, and at times breathtaking, but this was so dazzling that he had to fight the urge to close his eyes again. The sky was a deep, bright blue that met an equally bright turquoise blue body of water stretching endlessly from side to side. Directly below the veranda, the trees were a green he had not seen in Britain. It ended as it met with a white sandy beach. He could hear the crash of waves as they rushed up onto the shore. Here and there along the beach, bright striped umbrellas shaded people who were there enjoying the day. He spent a long time just looking and then turned back into the house.

Noises issued from other rooms and he followed them to find Severus and Remus setting up a full potions lab in what looked like the dining room. They looked at him when he entered and Severus said, "There's a breakfast room to eat in; this room is best for potions as it has no windows to the outside." He lifted a cauldron and moved it to the top of the long table. "Your trunk is in your room. If you want one of the other rooms instead, you may switch."

Harry watched a while longer and then left to have a look at the room they had chosen for him. Walking up the stairs, he couldn't help putting a hand on the wall. It was painted a sandstone yellow, light and cool to the touch. There were exposed beams in the ceiling when he looked up. The ceilings here had a nearness that Hogwarts didn't have, without the closed in feeling of the house on Privet Drive.

He looked into other doors along the next hallway and found trunks that belonged to Severus and Remus in two rooms, then a bathroom, another bedroom, and then at the end of the hallway, a last bedroom. He gasped at this one. It was the largest of the four and seemed to be the width of the whole side of the house. He walked out onto the private balcony and the view here was even more breathtaking than the one from the other veranda. Here, he could still see the water and beach off to his right, but when he looked left, he could see distant mountains after a flat field of soft green grass. A dirt road wound away from the house and over a low hill. Spiral steps led from this balcony down to a small garden.

Harry walked back into the room. Why would they give him this room? This was a room for someone special, or at least a grownup. The bed was huge, a light oak four poster with a light blue gauzy netting hanging down all four sides. Another door led to a closet. Harry looked at this small space, feeling a constriction in his chest. Hogwarts didn't have closets. The house on Privet Drive had wardrobes in the bedrooms, and one very memorable closet. He closed the door to this one quickly and turned back to the room. There was too much space here. What was he supposed to do with it all?

Unable to process those thoughts, he went to the trunk and got out Prongs. Maybe the closet would be better … it wasn't as small as the cupboard, but not as large as the room he had back at Hogwarts. Going to the bed, he dragged the bedspread and top sheet off and into the closet. Folding it all lengthwise, he made a sort of sleeping bag. The pillows joined the pallet and Harry took Prongs in last. There, that felt more secure. No one could sneak up on him.

When Severus came up to check on Harry later, he found him asleep on the floor of the closet, curled into a ball on the pallet. He started to wake him and make him move to the bed. But after some thought, he decided to leave it for now. If Harry felt better being in the closet, then they would have to talk about why, before they could figure out how to get him into a real bed. He was at a loss, and the feeling of not knowing exactly what to do irritated him. Along with the pangs of withdrawal, he did not feel up to dealing with it just yet. Better to concentrate on brewing the Wolfsbane. He silently pulled the door to the bedroom almost closed, wanting the small gap so that they could hear Harry if he had a nightmare.

Going back down to the dining room-turned-Potions lab, he meticulously set up the cauldron and ingredients necessary for the Wolfsbane. Remus came in a short while later.

With a frown, he asked, "Did you see where Harry was sleeping?"

"Yes; and I believe we should let him stay there for the time being. Giving him the largest room may have been a mistake. He obviously feels too exposed if he is out in the open."

Remus nodded. "I agree." He watched Severus for a moment and then said, "I'll see what the food supply boxes have for dinner." He left after Severus remained intent on the potion he was brewing.

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Severus went up to Harry's room when dinner was ready. Harry was awake and standing out on the balcony. The sun was setting over the water and Harry was looking into the fading light. Severus joined him at the balcony rail.

When the last bit of sun sank below the edge of the horizon, Harry asked, "Are you very angry at me for what I said to Professor Dumbledore?"

Severus turned surprised eyes toward Harry and started to speak, then, seeing Harry's tense expression, he stopped. Gathering his thoughts, he said, "I can see where you might think that I was. But he deserved what you said, even if it wasn't done in a very respectful way. I understand your anger at him for cornering you like that."

"I wanted to stop thinking about all those … scenes I showed him. But once I started, I just wanted to show him how much he hurt me … I wanted him to hurt." He looked at Severus then. "I wanted him to hurt, so that makes me as bad as Voldemort, doesn't it?"

Severus immediately stepped towards Harry and laid a hand on his shoulder. Harry tried not to flinch at the contact and Severus dropped his hand away. "You will never be close to being as bad as the Dark Lord. Just because you want someone to understand the depth of what you feel does not make you a bad person."

Harry was quiet for awhile as he looked back out over the sunset that was turning pink and purple. "I feel like I'm a bad person. I feel … unclean somehow. How can anyone stand to be near …" His voice broke then and he stopped.

Severus could see a muscle working at his jaw line. Risking it, he reached out his hand again to Harry without touching him. "You are not unclean, Harry."

Harry looked down at the hand Severus held out for a long time. Then he took it in his own. Severus pulled him gently over and put the arm around his shoulder. Severus stood firm as Harry gave a shiver, and then he said gently, "You know that this does not come easy for me to be patient. You know that I have not been a good person in this life. But, I do know you, after all this time. You are a good person, a strong young man. You have quite a lot of obstacles to overcome, some torments to deal with. I will not be an expert at helping deal with them, but I will do the best I can."

He led Harry back into the room and Harry asked, "Do I have to have this room?"

"If it makes you uncomfortable, no. Remus and I thought that you would enjoy having such a large amount of space, and that you would enjoy the view. We can move you to the other bedroom down the hall, if you like."

Harry stood in the middle of the room, looking lost. Then he glanced at the closet, where they could both see the twisted blanket and sheet as evidence that he had slept there. His face flushed and Severus said quietly, "If that is where you are most comfortable …"

The emotions inside him roiled up again, though Harry could not say where they came from, nor why. The flush became one of anger and not embarrassment. "Why are you always doing that?" Fists clenched at his sides. "I'm not some itty baby that you have to coddle all the time!"

Whirling around, he went quickly back out onto the balcony and started down the spiral steps. Severus stepped out and leaned over the rail. "Dinner is ready. Come back inside."

A muffled shout of what was possibly "Shut up!" came from below. Severus took a long breath against the increased pounding in his head. He was in no mood to be patient. He was not in any shape to puzzle out the abrupt change in mood. He turned on his heel and went through the room, and back downstairs.

At the kitchen table he stopped and glared at Remus. "Harry is in the gardens, if you care to have a go at getting him in here. He is most volatile at the moment, and I am not much better. If you would be so kind as to get my next potion dose …"

Remus looked at him and took a breath of his own. "It's not time for your next dose. You have several hours yet to go this time. Sit down and try to eat. Perhaps that will settle you. I'll let Harry alone for a bit." His golden eyes were concerned and Severus suddenly knew how Harry had felt, angry at the condescension.

"I am not hungry," he bit out. He whirled away again and Remus heard the door to the dining room slam shut.

With a sigh, Remus sat down to eat his own dinner. He had a feeling he would need whatever fortification he could get, and a great deal of patience.

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Remus went out into the gardens later. At first, he was alarmed when he didn't find Harry right away. Then, he found him, laying on his back with his hands behind his head, on a patch of green grass. He was staring up at the stars overhead. Remus joined him there, lacing his own fingers together to support his head.

Harry pointed a finger at the constellation Lupis. "There you are."

Remus looked over at him silently for a few minutes. "Where are you?"

For a long time Remus thought Harry wasn't going to answer. Then he said softly, "I'm nowhere."

"You are somewhere. You are here and you are safe."

Harry took his eyes off the sky and looked at Remus. "I made Severus angry again."

"He is frustrated at not knowing what to do for you. We both are."

"I told you what I wanted a long time ago … before Uncle Vernon –" He looked back up at the stars. "Now, I want it more than ever. If I wasn't so tired … so afraid … I'd have _avada kedavra'd_ myself."

Remus raised himself up to lean on his elbow. "Do you believe that we care so little for you that we'd let you do that?"

"I don't see how you can stop me, actually. With or without a wand, I could do it." He sat up and hugged his knees. "You should just do it and put us all out of our misery. Then you could go back to your life, Severus could go back to his and everyone could stop looking at me like I'll really be able to do something that will make a difference."

Remus sat up. This talk of suicide was disturbing, but he knew he shouldn't simply pass it over. "You seem really focused on your death right now. May I tell you what your life means to me? Perhaps you could see why I would never be able to hurt you."

Harry didn't answer, and Remus took that as a sign to go ahead and tell him what he meant to him, and to all his other friends. Remus spoke slowly, carefully detailing events that occurred from before Harry was born to the moment when Remus first held him. "You were squalling and red-faced, and angry. James was trying to quiet you so Lily could take a nap. Sirius and I came in and he just thrust you into my arms. 'Make him stop before Lily thinks I'm a complete failure at fatherhood,' he said." Remus chuckled at the memory. "You smelled so sweet, so good … I just put you up over my shoulder and patted your back … your hair stayed flat when you were a newborn. It was as fine and as soft as silk. Your whole head fit in the palm of my hand. You grabbed a handful of my hair as I held you, and suddenly, you got quiet. James and Sirius came running over in a panic, thinking you had stopped breathing. They were gobsmacked when they saw that you had fallen asleep so quickly." Remus stared out over the garden for a long time, lost in the memory. "Lily and James had already made Sirius your Godfather. Werewolves aren't allowed to be named as such, anyway. But they told me then, they considered me just as much your godfather as Sirius."

The breeze in the garden carried the smell of roses as they sat silently for a long time. Remus finally broke the silence. "You probably want to know why I never told you that … why I never tried to contact you … It was the werewolf thing again. I have no real status that makes it possible for me to do anything in a legal guardian sort of way. Besides, I believed, at first, that Sirius _had_ betrayed your parents, and me, on the night they were killed. I believed that he deserved Azkaban … that was a loss I was hard-pressed to deal with. It was with relief that I learned Dumbledore had placed you with Lily's sister. I had to believe that you were safe there. I'm sorry I was so wrong about that belief. I would have come years ago …"

Harry turned his head to gaze at Remus. Remus thought that he was about to deliver an angry response to the fact that Remus had let Harry be placed with the Dursleys. Instead, Harry reached out his hand and touched the hair that fell in graying waves over Remus's shoulder. "That must be why it helps me now … to touch your hair." He rubbed a section between his fingers and then let it go. Standing up, he extended a hand. Remus took it and Harry drew him to his feet.

Standing there, facing each other, Remus thought again that Harry would say something about how he had been abandoned by him. Harry merely looked at him for a long moment and then said, "If it's not too much trouble, could you …" he held out a hand tentatively. Remus grabbed it and pulled Harry into a warm hug. He put his hand against Harry's head, like he had done when he was an infant, holding it against his shoulder. He patted Harry's back gently. Harry wound his fingers into a lock of the werewolfs's hair, sighing. They stood for a long time like that; Harry relaxing into the hug, Remus glad to be able to give Harry a little security.

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Severus made it to the next scheduled dose, but it was a painful interval. They were lengthening the time in between doses and his body was rebelling against the decreasing pain relief potion. When he could have this next vial, his hands were shaking badly and his joints were a mass of fiery nerve endings with every movement. He was sorely tempted to add a glass of Firewhiskey as a chaser, but he knew that would only add to the trouble. He had changed into lighter-weight clothing and was lying out on the veranda, an arm thrown over his eyes. The breeze had a salty tang to it, and the darkness of the night was easier on his reddened eyes.

He heard Remus step outside and sit on another lounger. The clink of ice in a glass and the scent of alcohol told him that Remus felt no need to deny himself the relaxing benefits of the Firewhiskey. For a moment, he felt a surge of angry irritation and then it died back. Without lifting his arm, he asked, "Did Harry ever eat?"

"No. But we had a sort of talk. He was afraid you were angry with him. I told him we were simply frustrated at not knowing exactly what to do for him."

"What did he say to that?"

"He said he still wished to die and if he was strong enough, he would _avada kedavra_ himself. Then he told me I should put him out of his misery so we could get on with our lives."

Severus sat up quickly and was rewarded by a blinding pain in his head. He leaned his forehead into his hands and peered up at Remus through a curtain of hair. "And what did you say to _that_?"

"I told him about how much he meant to me when he was a newborn … how I felt about him then."

"That worked?" Severus asked in amazement.

"It was the truth," Remus defended. Then he sighed, "But I am not sure it had the whole effect I wanted. He liked hearing it well enough, but I believe he is still suicidal."

"Did you take his wand?"

Remus gave him shake of his head and snorted. "He reminded me that either by wand or wandless, he was capable of doing the deed."

Severus stood up shakily, "I'll go make him see reason."

"Sit down, you idiot."

Severus scowled angrily. "_What_?" He made an attempt to loom menacingly over Remus.

"You heard me. Sit down before you fall down. We both know you're in no condition to talk to him, to make him 'see reason', as you put it." Remus ran a hand back through his hair and slumped back into the chair. "Harry can't see reason right now. He's adrift with trying to make sense of his life. What he needs is a sense of purpose." He looked at Severus again and inclined his head toward the other chair.

Severus slowly sat back down, silently grateful to be back where the world wasn't swaying dangerously. He asked snidely, "I suppose you have a plan to give him this sense of purpose you believe he needs?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. I worked on a schedule while I ate. He needs to get back to his school work. He needs to have something else to occupy his mind besides the wish for death. I know you are somewhat preoccupied by your own difficulties right now, so I intend to start him back with classes first thing in the morning. The busier we keep him, the better."

Severus stared at him for a while in thought. "What if he is resistant to that?"

"I don't think he will be as resistant as all that. Right now, he doesn't want either of us upset with him. I'll use that if I have to, to get him to do the work."

Severus quirked an eyebrow at Remus. "That's quite the Slytherin attitude, Lupin."

Remus smiled crookedly. "There's a little bit of Slytherin in all of us. There's even some Gryffindor in you, but I've never been so rude as to suggest such a thing to your face."

Severus snorted and leaned back, putting the arm back over his eyes again. The pounding in his head was barely subsiding now. "History is his weakest subject. He does better if you challenge him to see it as a way of learning strategy techniques."

Remus stared at the inert form of the Potions Master until he heard soft snores. Waving his wand, he summoned a light blanket from inside the villa. He carefully draped it over the other man. He knew that he wouldn't sleep all night out here; the withdrawal would prevent more than a short reprieve. But he needed all the sleep he could get. The intervals between potions doses increased every time now.

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Remus found it difficult to be firm with Harry when he balked at beginning class the next day. Harry silently ignored Remus's summons to a corner of the small library where he had set up a desk and chair. He stayed in the garden, idly plucking the petals off a flower until Remus came to stand over him, hands on hips.

"Harry, it's time to get started on some classwork. I have a schedule of subjects ready. If you'd rather begin with one over the others, you may choose; but it's time to get on with it."

Harry sat there, focused on the flower. Just as Remus started to say something else, he asked softly, "What's the point? Just teach me the curse I need to know to get rid of Voldemort. I'll do it and then this can all be over."

Remus squatted down and Harry looked up at him. He searched Remus's face and added, "That's all I'm here for, isn't it? To fulfill the damn prophecy? I don't need to know any of the other stuff."

Sighing heavily, Remus sat down in the grass. "Harry … is that what you really believe? That you're simply a means to an end?"

Harry nodded, looking back down as he plucked another flower to pull apart. Remus looked out over the garden. After a few minutes, he said, "I can't begin to know how much pressure you've felt, knowing that you're the one who will have to kill that monster. But that's not why I want you to learn all the other things. You need those things because there is more to life than that prophecy. You will have a life to live until then and afterwards. That's one single moment in time, not all of it. I know that it seems like everything focuses on it, because it will mean so much to the rest of the wizarding world. But that does not mean that you have only that one purpose. You are a great wizard. There is so much potential in what your life will be. Let me help you realize that potential. Let's make some goals that focus, not just on the prophecy, but what you might like to do afterwards."

"I can't think of anything that I'd like to do."

"Then let's get started on lessons. I promise not to let them be as boring as Binns. We can work at your pace and learn about things you want to learn about. Along the way, perhaps you'll find what you want to work towards." He stood back up and extended a hand down to Harry.

Harry slowly reached up and took it, allowing Remus to pull him to his feet. Remus steered him back into the house.

Severus stood in the door of the potions lab. He had listened as the two had spoken and he was glad that Lupin had been the one to talk Harry in to learning again. He knew that he would not have been as insightful nor as patient in his present state of mind. While he resented not being the one Harry was listening to, he was grateful that he was listening to someone, even Lupin. His respect for the werewolf was continuing to grow, however grudgingly.

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_**A/N:**__ Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers! I crave reviews…I love them…I appreciate the time you take to give them! Your feedback helps me know that you are still interested and I haven't sent you off into dreamland yet!_

_Thank you __**logicalquirk**__ for your patient beta work! Love you lots!_


	39. Chapter 39

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 39

Harry had settled into reading a couple of chapters of History and then an advanced lesson in Charms. Remus had promised that they would practice the application of the lesson later and then go down to the beach. Harry found himself looking forward to that, remembering only one trip to the beach when he was very young. Dudley had buried him up to his nose in sand and Uncle Vernon had only made him dig Harry out when the tide had begun to come in and threatened to drown him. That thought made him apprehensive about the water, but he decided that it would be safe enough if he stayed well back from the waves.

Severus stayed in the makeshift Potions lab. He came out once when it was time for his dose. Harry could see that the man was twitchy and in a foul temper. He was very glad not to be having class with him. He doubted that Severus would be as patient as Remus was being. He knew the man cared for him and that it was the withdrawal that was making him mean, but he had no wish to test his limits at the moment.

After lunch, Remus and Harry practiced Charms and Remus reviewed him in some of the defensive moves they had gone over before. Harry quickly regained his rhythm with using his wand. As they were packing a bag of snacks to take to the beach, Severus emerged from the lab. He was dressed in the traditional male garb of the area; a long tunic and covered head wear. Harry stared at him for a long moment and Severus raised an eyebrow at him. Remus emerged from the kitchen, and eyeing Severus, he asked, "Feeling better then?"

"I need to obtain a few ingredients. I believe a walk is what I need, besides." His expression challenged them to question him.

Remus shrugged. "You might pick up some food supplies if you're going into the village. A few fresh vegetables would be good with dinner."

Severus turned without reply and left. Remus shrugged when Harry looked at him in question. They gathered their own gear and began the walk to the beach.

As they walked, Harry asked, "Will he be okay? After the withdrawal?"

"He should be back to his charming self by next week." He glanced sideways to Harry and decided to tell him what might be happening at the next full moon. "Severus is making an extra large amount of the Wolfsbane this month."

Harry looked at him quickly and then back down at the rocky path. "Why?"

"When he was the _beithir béimneach, _he could not be stopped merely with defensive and offensive spells. His mind was not his own when he was first transformed, and we could not make our counter curses effective until he was weakened. The only way we could think of at the moment it was all happening was for Albus to make it possible for me to attack him as a beast myself. He cast a full moon spell on the chandelier. I was not fully a werewolf and I retained my sense of purpose." He looked at Harry to see how he was reacting thus far.

Harry kept walking and he asked, "So, you fought Severus?"

"Yes. Once he was weakened, we were able to cast our counter curses. It was only after all that that we realized you were missing. Now, though, we have to be prepared for the possibility that not only I will be affected by the full moon, but Severus as well. It could be that I did not transfer the werewolf curse to him, since I was not fully transformed. It could be that even if I did, the curse was nullified when you gave the counter curse that changed him back from the _beithir béimneach."_

Harry walked silently for a bit and then asked, "Is this why you are both in a hurry to finish getting him off the pain potion?"

"Yes. It would be better not to have that variable if we don't have to deal with it."

"So, what will happen if you both change now?"

Remus put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Severus is making the Wolfsbane. We know it works to make me safe from the change, even if I am still weakened and surly. We hope that it will work the same for him. But we will make sure that you are safe that night. We will set the wards stronger, even though no one but Albus knows about this place."

Harry had no answer to that. They had tried to make him safe before and their efforts had failed. His mood darkened with the thought that both of them might be unable to offer protection at the same time.

Remus noticed Harry's withdrawal from him as they walked, but wisely kept quiet. He waited until they got to the beach before speaking again. "Look. The sand is very smooth. I'll set our things up here and you can go for a swim if you like."

Harry gave a brief nod and walked on towards the water. Remus thought that he would at least get his feet wet, but Harry stayed well back from where the waves came rolling onto the shore. When he came back a few minutes later, he threw himself down on the blanket that Remus had spread.

"The sand is hard to walk in."

"Remus grinned, "I know. It'll be great exercise when we run. We start tomorrow morning."

Harry looked at him and narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"So you'll be in top shape when we go back. You need to build up your physical strength as well as your magical strength."

Harry took a resigned breath. He hadn't planned on expending that much energy. In fact, he'd much rather do nothing. Remus seemed to read those thoughts, because he said gently, "I know that you don't feel motivated to do all these things right now. But we won't let you just waste away the days. Our purpose in coming here was so that you could have the solitude you need to heal; not become a recluse. While you heal, you'll be keeping up and staying ahead in your school work and defensive and offensive training."

Harry leaned down to rest on an elbow as he gazed out at the water. "I don't even know where I am."

Remus smiled and gestured to the water. "That is the Mediterranean Sea. I'll get out a map when we get back and show you exactly where we are. Of course, the villa is unplottable, as it's Albus's. The villagers see it as a quite run down farm."

They watched the few sunbathers and swimmers for awhile and Remus motioned to the water again. "A dip in the water would feel good, don't you think?"

"I can't swim. Only Dudley got lessons. My experience at the beach involved him burying me and letting crabs pinch my ears. Uncle Vernon only made Dud dig me out when the tide got to my face. If some other people weren't looking at him, he probably would have let me drown."

Remus made a strangled noise, as if choking back a curse under his breath. "I know how to swim if you want me to teach you. We have plenty of time for you to decide."

Harry nodded silently, thinking to himself that it wasn't likely that he'd want to ever go into the water, any more than he wanted to take runs on the sand. Just walking on it seemed to suck his feet down and make him feel as if he suddenly weighed twice as much.

He laid there as long as Remus did, thinking that it would be time to go back whenever Remus decided it was. He even dozed a bit in the sun, the sound of the surf a soothing drone.

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They went back to the villa when it was time to be thinking about dinner. Harry helped Remus gather up the blanket, snack bag and umbrella before they walked back up the sloping grass-covered dunes to the villa.

When they got back inside, they were both surprised to see Severus in the kitchen already, cooking, no less. When he caught sight of their startled faces, he raised his chin and quirked a brow. "Need I remind you, Mr. Potter, that cooking is quite like potions?"

Harry remembered back to the outdoor grilling conversation at the Grangers during the previous year. "But that was Mr. Granger showing you how men cook …with fire."

"I felt like preparing dinner, since the two of you saw fit to stay at the beach for hours."

Harry could tell that Severus was teasing, even if his tone was sour. Remus was looking concerned, so Harry went over to the pans on the stove and pulled up a lid to sniff at the contents. "You must have been desperate to have fixed this stuff."

The black eyebrow climbed higher and black eyes glittered dangerously. "I'm not certain that there will be enough for you, Mr. Potter."

"Good." Harry hid a grin by turning towards Remus, who looked alarmed at Harry's words. Severus narrowed his eyes with a growl and raised the stirring spoon in mock threat.

Remus finally realized that they were bantering and he felt a relief that Harry was comfortable enough to do that with Severus, and that Severus was willing to lower his usual guardedness to let it happen. He observed Severus for a few moments and it appeared that he was getting through this latest interval with more success than the previous one.

They all began the work of preparing the table and the settings for dinner. When a sudden whining sound broke the silence, Remus and Harry both looked up. Severus continued to stir the contents of the pot, ignoring them. Just as Harry was setting the silverware down, the whining sound came again, this one longer and not possible to ignore. Remus saw the smirk on Severus's face as Harry looked around the room.

Harry scanned the room and his eyes fell on a box in the corner. It was shaking slightly, and the whining had turned into high-pitched yelps of distress. Remus caught the look that Severus gave him and he stood back to let Harry approach the box alone.

Harry knelt down next to the box and cautiously pulled back a flap. A black and white ball of fur made a leap up the inside of the box before falling back down inside. Harry sat down on the floor and tipped the box into his lap. A very happy puppy wiggled out and began to jump up to nip and lick at Harry's face. Laughing, Harry picked the puppy up and hugged it to his chest, letting it lick him in excitement.

After a few minutes, Harry looked up at Severus. "Where did he come from? Can I keep him? What's his name?"

Severus raised an eyebrow and Remus saw him struggling to subdue a satisfied smirk. "A man in the village was giving him away. It's the last of a litter and was the smallest one. He was willing to let me have it as he thought it was deformed."

Harry held the puppy up and looked it over. "What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing. It's part Crup. The tail gives it away, but Muggles would see it as being a deformity."

Harry then noticed that the very end of the puppy's happily wagging tail was forked. The puppy was desperately trying to lick Harry's face and Harry pulled it close again. Remus sat down beside Harry and the puppy tried to give him the same treatment. Harry let Remus hold him and the puppy stopped wiggling when Remus gave a short growl. Its ears pricked up and he cocked his head at Remus. After running his hands over the little body, he said, "He's healthy enough. Crups are often smaller than their Muggle-bred counterparts. This is a half-breed?"

Severus nodded. "It appears so. The mother was not a Crup."

Harry looked from one man to the other and asked, "What's a Crup?"

Severus answered, "A Crup is a magical dog similar to a Jack Russell terrier. They're hard to find because Muggles usually see the forked tail and either put them down, believing they are deformed, or they dock the tail. Either way, the magic goes undetected."

Harry pet the now calm puppy. It sat contentedly under his hand, curled in the space between his crossed legs. "Will you let me keep him?"

Severus looked at him seriously for a long moment. "He will be your responsibility. Crups tend to imprint on one master. He is a baby and will require your care to train and feed him properly. This will, of course, be in addition to your other responsibilities."

"Alright," Harry readily agreed. "What is his name?"

Severus and Remus looked at each other before Remus answered, "You get to choose his name. The owner generally does."

Harry had a look of wonder on his face and he smiled at the puppy. "_I_ get to name you … you're mine … I've always wanted a puppy …"

Severus watched him for a few minutes and then said, "Put him in the box and come eat dinner."

"I'll just hold him."

"You will not. He must learn his place is not at the table and not begging for table food. Put him in the box while you eat."

Harry reluctantly turned the box back upright and put the puppy into it. He immediately set up a distressed cry and tried to climb out. Remus folded the box top flaps together and cast a silencing charm. Harry kept looking at the shaking box all throughout the meal and as soon as he was finished, he took the puppy out into the garden.

When Remus and Severus looked out later, Harry and the puppy were laying in the grass, almost nose to nose. Harry was petting him and the puppy was looking back at him with adoring eyes.

Remus said quietly, "That was brilliant. I never would have expected you to be the type to like puppies … given our history." He glanced at Severus in question.

"I am not what you would call fond of animals … given my _history_," he said pointedly. "But when I saw him, I knew it was a Crup. I knew Harry was having a hard time talking about his ordeal, and that by your report, he is suicidal. I felt nothing would be lost in attempting to shift his focus outward. My plan is that he will be responsible for the care and training of the dog, but only after he has completed his assignments from us each day."

Remus nodded thoughtfully. "The dog might even be useful in the long run. They are renowned for their fierce loyalty. Some have shown magical abilities that they used to protect their owners in a crisis. A half-breed may not be magical, but I'm willing to bet he can be trained to protect."

Severus looked at Remus. "Perhaps he will make a better bed companion than Prongs or you."

Remus flushed, his jaw tightening. "I would never hurt Harry."

"I know that, Lupin. I am concerned about Harry depending on the physical comfort he gets from you there. It doesn't seem appropriate."

Remus glared for a moment before letting his shoulders slump. "I know. The wolf den mentality doesn't translate well to human behavior."

Both of them stood there, lost in thought, as the sun set.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Harry was much more willing to get down to work the next morning. He fed and played with the puppy briefly and then placed him back in the box with the silencing charm in place. Every once in awhile, he would glance over and smile at the puppy making obvious bids for freedom, barking and whining, but soundlessly.

Remus lectured briefly, but had Harry mostly reading and then actively discussing the chapters he read in History. Harry found it much less tedious than the usual droning and boring lectures from Professor Binns, and he agreed with Severus that History was useful as a means of seeing strategy in retrospect and examining the possible value the strategy could have on the present.

Harry spent some time in the lab with Severus and followed his instructions in brewing a healing salve. Harry noticed that he was surly and kept placing a hand up to his temple, so he was determined to do his best to make a perfect end product. His perseverance paid off when Severus held the finished sample vial up, examined it closely and then gave him a brief nod. Coming from the Potions Master, that was praise enough.

After lunch, Remus took Harry and the puppy back down to the beach. Harry and the puppy ran on the beach, Harry throwing a stick and the puppy bringing it back. His joyful barking and jumping made them both smile. When they settled onto the blanket under the umbrella, the puppy promptly fell asleep.

Harry was looking at the dog with concern and Remus assured him, "He's just a puppy. He'll wake up ready to go again in a very brief time. Have you thought of a name yet?"

Harry nodded. "I was going to ask you and Severus what you thought about the name Jack."

"If that's the name you choose, then it will be fine."

"I just thought he would like a say, since he got him for me."

"Yes, he got Jack for you. But he wanted you to choose the name."

Harry nodded again, "Okay. Jack it is."

Severus put in only a brief appearance at dinner, pushed the food around on his plate and then abruptly left the room. Harry looked at Remus who explained, "The intervals between these last doses are getting longer. His body is begging for relief and he is fighting to stay away from asking me for more."

"Do you have more?" Harry asked.

"Only enough to get him through the schedule of decreasing doses. He knows he can't have more. It's just hard for him to not blame the person holding it for not giving it to him. These next few days will be rough."

True to the prediction. Severus was extremely short-tempered and agitated over the next days time. Harry spent any time away from Remus and classes with Jack in the garden. Once, he entered the kitchen to see Severus and Remus shouting at each other behind a silencing charm. Severus was red-faced and furious, Remus standing calmly straight, his hand behind his back clutching his wand. Severus looked over, and seeing Harry's distraught face he spun on his heel, disappearing back into the potions lab. The slamming door dissolved the silencing charm and Remus pocketed his wand. Walking over to Harry, he said gently, "It will be over soon; this is likely the worst part."

Harry looked down where Remus's wand rested. "Would you have used that on him?"

"If I have to keep him from harming himself or one of us, I will."

Harry looked at him for a long time before nodding his head and walking back outside, Jack on his heels.

At breakfast two days later, Severus sat down and sighed. "I apologize for all the upheaval. I believe I am through it now."

Harry got up and came around the table. Looping his arms around Severus's neck, he hugged him hard. Severus looked at Remus in surprise at this unexpected gesture from Harry. When he leaned back to look at Harry, Harry said, "I've been missing you."

Severus blinked, for once at a loss for an appropriately sarcastic response. Rolling his eyes, he squeezed Harry's hands where they rested on his chest. "I've missed you, too."

Harry sat back down, and over breakfast he told Severus about what he was learning in History and Charms. He added in where he was in his Potions readings, so Severus would know he was ready for the practical application. Wiping his mouth quickly on his napkin, he jumped up and snapped his fingers at Jack. The puppy had been obediently waiting at his feet while he ate, and now happily followed Harry out the door.

Severus looked to Remus in question, and Remus explained, "He knows he has to finish his morning duties with Jack before he starts lessons. He's really very good with his training and Jack is obviously very smart and willing to learn from him."

Severus picked up his cup of tea and went to the window to look out. Harry was standing with Jack at his side. The puppy was wiggling wildly in anticipation, his eyes glued on the stick in Harry's hand. Harry held his other hand palm down toward the dog and then threw the stick across the garden. Jack wiggled even more, the tail wagging madly. Harry waited only a few seconds and then raised the restraining hand. Jack raced across the garden and grabbed the stick in his mouth. When he dropped it at Harry's feet, Harry knelt and rubbed his head, praising him. The two repeated the routine several times before Harry simply threw the stick and allowed Jack to catch it almost before it landed. The training appeared to be over when Jack finally brought the stick back, but kept it under his paws as he laid down in the grass panting. Harry laughed and sat down beside him, petting and praising all the while. His back was to the house, but Severus could see that he was talking to the small dog from the way his shoulders moved and the way the dog kept his attention on his face.

Remus came up beside Severus. "They've grown close very quickly. He talks to Jack all the time when they're together. I don't know what he says, but he's more relaxed now than he has been."

Severus was silent for a few moments as he kept watching. Then he looked at Remus. "Jack? Why did he name it Jack?"

With a shrug, Remus replied, "I suppose because he looks like a Jack Russell terrier, although Harry hasn't said. He was concerned that he should get your approval before settling on a name and I assured him that you would want it to be his choice."

"Thank you. I was concerned that he was depending too much on my approval as well."

They watched as Harry sat talking to Jack, but then sat back down at the table before Harry knew they were observing them. When Harry came back in, Severus said, "If you are ready, we can begin your potions brewing first, as it will take the day to brew. Classes will may be done in between the times necessary to stir or add ingredients."

Harry put Jack into the bigger box he had found and waved his own wand over it as he said the silencing charm. Remus smiled, "Good, you've got the charm down now."

Harry smiled back at Remus and then looked at Severus expectantly. "I'm ready."

Severus gave him a long, intense look that Harry returned calmly. He was Occluding Severus, but it looked effortless and not as if Harry was hiding his true feelings. Nodding, he led the way to the lab.

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The next few days passed easily; Harry seeming to be a willing student of the two men, following directions immediately and without fuss. It was almost too perfect, as Remus and Severus discussed after Harry went to bed.

Putting his feet up on the table and sipping at a cup of tea, Severus commented, "He's afraid of something. He hides it well, and with any other teenager I'd believe he was simply doing as he was asked because there is no one else here to misbehave with. But Harry … he's been so angry recently … this sudden turn about is a concern."

"Jack could be the reason. Perhaps he's afraid we'll take Jack away if he doesn't do his work. You did say that the dog was his responsibility." He looked at Severus with serious gold eyes. "Tomorrow night is the full moon. I'll be fine, if a little out of sorts, with the Wolfsbane. Have you thought what you might do to prepare?"

"I'll put up stronger wards on the door to my room. I feel that we shouldn't take a chance that the Wolfsbane will work on me. My plan is to have you secure me in the room, the dose of Wolfsbane at hand. If I feel a transformation occurring, I'll take the potion. That way, we will know if I am to transform, as well as know whether the Wolfsbane will help."

"You should talk to Harry beforehand. I told him about why what happened and why we will both be preparing. He seemed to accept it, but …"

Severus eyed him with speculation. "But what?" When Remus didn't answer right away, Severus sighed impatiently. Gulping the last of his tea, he said, "Come Lupin; you haven't been this reluctant to state your beliefs before. What's on your mind?"

Remus looked at him silently for a long time before speaking. "Albus told me about the physical healing connection that the two of you shared in the past. I understand why it wasn't possible for you to heal him while you were in the cursed state. Albus also told me about the First Prophecy."

"I expected that he had. What of it?" he asked impatiently.

Remus looked at him with raised eyebrows. "I was wondering why, if you are the 'sentinel of the mind', that you haven't thought to try and use the healing connection in a more psychological way. Could you not try to help him in that capacity?"

Severus stared at him with his mouth open and eyes narrowed. Suddenly jumping up, he paced the room, hands behind his back. After doing this for a long while, he turned to Remus.

"Lupin, I may have misjudged you, yet again. Your logic astounds me, and what's more, I am astounded that I failed to think of this myself. I'll return shortly."

He turned to the hearth and grabbed the box of floo powder. Throwing a handful into the flames, he shouted for Dumbledore's office. Without another word to Remus, he stepped in and was swallowed up in a flash of green.

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**A/N:**

_I needed to review what the prophecies actually said and I thought you would all like to have them here, as well. It helps not to have to go looking for it!_

_The First Prophecy by Cassandra Trelawney concerning Snape (First Prophecy):_

_The one in darkness will turn to shrouded light._

_He will be sentinel of the mind of the light and find true release for darkness past._

_Forging of the bond will create a united remedial power of radiance so that what may be lost will be saved._

_Other worlds will be preserved through the amity of the two, then hostility will split them before the ending brings peace._

_The Prophecy by Sybil Trelawney concerning Harry (canon):_

_"The one with the power to vanquish the __Dark__ L__ord approaches... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the __Dark Lord__will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the __Dark Lord__ knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives."_

_Thank you everyone, for reading, for your encouragement, and for the lovely reviews! Miss Muse said to tell you they were very satisfying and she plans to have Harry set to rights soon as a reward for your efforts!_

_Thank you to __**logicalquirk**__, my fantabulous beta!_

_Welcome to all the new members of the First Prophecy Yahoo Group! There is still time to cast your 'vote' for what you think will happen in Deathly Hallows. Head over to the polls!_


	40. Chapter 40

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 40

Severus returned from his discussion of the First Prophecy with Dumbledore to find the living area empty, Remus's cup on the floor. Apprehension gripped him and he hurried to Harry's room.

Remus was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding Harry by his shoulders. Severus could see that Harry was asleep, even though his eyes were open. They had the wide look of someone in the grip of a night terror. Jack was at the foot of the bed, his puppy body trembling, a puppy whine the counter sound to Harry's keening.

Remus saw Severus as he came closer and his eyes closed in relief. "Voldemort," was his only word. Just as Severus sat down on the bed, his forearm began to burn with the Summons. He grabbed it with a hiss and then took Harry from Remus.

Pulling the boy to his chest, he began to whisper, "Shut him out, Harry. Keep Occluding. Shut him out. He cannot reach you if you Occlude. You're stronger now … you can do it …" He kept up the whispered encouragement until Harry finally began to relax against him.

He thrust Harry at Remus and quickly settled himself against the head of the bed. Motioning for Remus to give Harry back, he pulled the boy up to lie against him and splayed his hands against Harry's head. As he closed his eyes, he whispered to Remus, "Stay and keep watch. Have a Calming Draught ready in case it is needed."

Remus sat raptly fixed on the scene, never having been witness to the actual forging of the link between Harry and Severus.

Ooooo

… _the white mist roiled over his feet and around his body in the dream state. It was thick and heavy, dragging at his footsteps, and making it difficult to breath. He slowly walked forward, listening intently. _

_An opening appeared in the whiteness and the boy was sitting there__with his arms around his knees, rocking himself silently. The grey wolf lay beside him, his gold-yellow eyes fixed on Severus. The boy himself looked up and smiled hesitantly. Severus dropped down beside him, pulling his own legs into himself so he could sit closer. _

_After a moment, the unmistakable hiss of Nagini was heard, the slithering of her belly against the ground made a silky sighing sound as she circled them._

_The boy looked at Severus fearfully. "Nagini is coming for me. He sent her and she's coming –"_

_Severus interrupted him gently, "She will not get you. I will not permit it. She is only an instrument of his terrorizing of you. Instruments can be broken."_

"_Can you break her then?" the boy asked anxiously._

"_This only a dream state. Here, he attempts to gain your terror and weaken you. Here, we are able to see this and plan action to stop it in the awake state."_

"_He knows I'm weak now. He doesn't know exactly what happened, but he knows Lucius is dead. He knows that I can't stop him anymore. He knows that he's going to win."_

"_He will not win!" You are not weak. You were hurt beyond bearing for a time, but you are not weak. We will show him that, and he will know that he has not so easily defeated you. He will know that you are strong and still a force to be reckoned with."_

"_Will you be with me?"_

"_I will not leave you. When you are awake, we will talk about what we will do to strengthen you even more. It must be tried, but you must be awake and aware, and accept the aid from me willingly."_

_The boy stared with wide green eyes and finally nodded. "It's not easy for me to let you help me."_

"_I know. It has not been easy for you or for any of us. Sleep and rest now. I am here to keep the dream Nagini away. Lupin is here as well," he added, putting a hand on the head of the wolf. The wolf gave the hand a sniff and a small nudge in return before laying its head back on its paws._

_The green eyes stared even more. "Could I talk to you here? I think I can do it while I'm here in the dream."_

_Severus nodded solemnly. "Yes. I will listen now, if that's what you wish."_

_The boy poured out his heart; spilling the fear, the guilt, the feelings of overwhelming grief. There was grief for his parents, for Sirius, the Grangers. There was guilt that he felt was his alone for those deaths, for Hermione being left parentless, for the deaths that occurred almost daily because he wasn't ready to stop Voldemort. He was almost paralyzed with fear; fear that he would not be what the prophecies foretold and he was doomed to failure; fear that he was what the prophecies foretold and that meant that he would have to kill to fulfill it. There were irrational feelings of wanting to be protected and given choices, but then feeling resentful when he was protected and given choices. His mind did not seem to know what it wanted in the way of help in dealing with these things. _

_He both wanted to live, because it seemed that it would disappoint people if he died, and he wanted to die because living had become so fraught with indecision and pain. His life was a slippery, frozen-over pond, threatening to break under his weight and spill__him into deadly icy waters. The torrent of feelings and thoughts seemed never-ending and overpowering in their intensity. _

_He finally told how he felt like his body had been violated so badly that he would never be able to let anyone get close; it was almost impossible for him to let Severus and Remus get close, and he had to fight the intense nausea when he did. Part of him craved the touch of another person while the rest of him rebelled against the very idea. All the conflicts within him made the idea of a release from it all very appealing. He wished for death, whether by his own hand or by the merciful assistance of someone else. He was even contemplating the merits of throwing himself on the mercy of Voldemort. The only thing stopping that idea from gaining popularity in his mind was that Voldemort would likely torture him before ending his life, and Harry had been through enough torture already._

_Through it all, Severus sat beside him, simply listening to the purging, hoping the catharsis would be the beginning of true healing. In this dream state, Harry felt safe enough to let this all out. How would he feel about it after he was awake? The most important thing, at the moment, was to accept the way Harry felt about everything, and avoid anything that looked like a judgment._

_At last, the boy seemed to run out of either things to confide or the energy to do it with. He moved closer to Severus and Severus opened his arms in invitation. After a few moments of hesitation, he moved to sit right beside Severus and allowed the man to put a hugging arm around his shoulders …_

_Ooooooo_

Severus opened his eyes. Harry had relaxed more in his sleep, now that the telling was done. He didn't know whether it was still the withdrawal, the hearing of all the details of Harry's terrorized mind, the burning of his Dark Mark, or the coming full moon, but his stomach was lurching violently. He looked at Remus and said, "Stomach Settling Potion, quickly."

Remus hurried to fetch the requested potion and held it out to Severus. After he handed the empty vial back, Remus offered the Calming Draught. Severus considered it for a moment and then took it, also.

Afterwards, he laid there with Harry and quietly retold Remus the ugly details. While

Harry slept, they made their plans for the following day. They would spend time with the awake Harry and hopefully Severus would be able to get him to consciously agree to letting Severus try a psychological healing.

When Lupin had asked whether it was possible, Severus had been dismayed that he hadn't thought of it himself. It was true that it could not have been attempted yet anyway, with the withdrawal making him weak. Prior to that, he had been under the curse of the _beithir béimneach._ But still, it was unsettling that Lupin had thought of it before he did. More and more, he had learned that the werewolf was a valuable asset in the battle to save Harry. He just wished it was so easy to learn how to give up the grudge, the suspicions left over from the days as a teenager himself. Merlin, he still called the man by his last name, even as the other called him comfortably by his given name.

He must have been staring at Remus for an overly long time, because the other man suddenly looked uncomfortable and said, "If you need to rest yourself, I can take over, if it won't disturb his sleep to move him."

Severus blinked and realized he was still holding a soundly sleeping Harry. He moved to shift Harry over to the bed, saying, "He'll be alright now. My Dark Mark isn't burning anymore, so the Dark Lord is likely finished for this night."

After settling Harry under the sheet and tucking him in, Severus brushed a hand lightly over the scar on Harry's forehead. Impulsively, he bent and whispered the calming charm that had always worked so well before, just in case Harry awakened, agitated by the dream.

They left the door to the room open and left their own doors open as well, when they retired to individual rooms. It was unspoken, but neither man really wanted to be alone after all the things that Harry had revealed about his heart and mind. Knowing that they had to somehow help pull him back together was daunting and both were glad that they had another to look to.

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Breakfast was quiet; Harry keeping his eyes on his plate as he pushed the food around listlessly. Severus finally reached out his hand and stilled Harry's. Harry looked up at him and Severus gave him a small smile. "It will be alright. I know that you are aware of all you said to me in your dream. It's a huge load for you to bear, but you have shared it now, and we bear it with you. We will try to lighten it tomorrow, with the healing energy."

Harry looked at him in question and Remus explained, "The full moon is tonight. We will be preparing for that today, and we must wait until Severus comes through it before we know how he was effected by the damage I did him."

Harry nodded, having forgotten that Remus had already explained it earlier in the week. "I didn't realize what day it was." He put his head in his hand as he twirled the fork in his eggs.

Severus sighed. "Take Jack for a run and some training. Getting outside will help."

Harry nodded and left his unfinished plate as he bent to pick up the dog. Jack wiggled and looked longingly at the plate. Harry smiled and picked up a scrap of egg, letting the puppy lick it off his fingers. Out in the garden, Harry put Jack on the ground, where he immediately sat at attention, ready to follow the first command. Severus and Remus watched him for a bit as they finished their own breakfast.

Remus showed Severus how he usually warded and strengthened his quarters whenever there was a full moon and he didn't have the Wolfsbane. They added the necessary chains with reinforcements to Severus's room. Remus explained the procedure for fastening the restraints and then handing over his wand until morning. He told Severus that eating a good meal prior to the change helped the recovery go more smoothly the next day.

Severus looked at him with narrowed eyes. "You act as if it's a given that I will transform."

"Isn't it better to be prepared for the worst?" Remus gave him a look of sympathy and Severus growled in irritation.

"I want your word that you will watch over him if I transform."

"I would not do anything else, Severus. He's my cubchild. He will be safe."

Severus eyed him for several seconds before giving him a curt nod. They finished the preparations silently and then went to look for Harry.

He was at the beach with Jack. While he sat on a blanket in the shade, Jack was barking and leaping at sea gulls. They sat down on either side of him and watched the antics of the dog.

Severus said quietly, "I know that you are worried about tonight. Lupin will be with you, since he will have Wolfsbane."

Remus said lightly, "I may not be the best company, but I will be there."

Harry kept his eyes on Jack. The silence stretched out and he finally asked, "Will you transform back to yourself, afterwards, I mean? What if the Wolfsbane doesn't work for you?"

Severus sighed. "That is a possibility. That's why I will be restrained before moonrise. As far as transforming back to myself, I don't see why I wouldn't. However, since we have no experience in this particular case, we will just have to wait."

Harry looked at him in distress and Severus leaned towards him. "This is one of those times when you may feel the need to be coddled, but you need to hear the truth in order to be prepared."

Harry took a deep breath and nodded. Remus wanted to break the tension that had developed and he asked, "Will you show us what you've been doing to train Jack? He's very quick, isn't he?"

Harry smiled at that, "He's brilliant. Just watch what he can already do." With that, he stood up and called to the puppy. Jack obediently came and sat down right at Harry's feet, looking up at him expectantly. Harry put him through the simple exercises they had been doing, Jack looking like a much more mature dog as he waited patiently for Harry to give him the signal to fetch, after he had thrown the stick.

When they finished, Harry held out his arms and Jack leaped up into them without hesitation. Remus nodded. "I'm impressed with how fast he's learned even those simple things. He must have more Crup in him than we had supposed."

Harry sat back down with Jack in his lap and looked at Severus. "Thanks for getting him for me. I always wished for a dog, even when Aunt Marge's dog Ripper was a right slobbery mutt."

Severus snorted. "Ripper?"

"Yeah. He was a Bulldog. She let him chase me up a tree when I was little. I had to stay there all day before she called him off. I really thought she would let him chew my leg off if I came down before she said to."

Severus looked over Harry's bowed head to Remus. They exchanged pained looks at yet another revelation about Harry's not so charmed childhood.

When they went back inside, Severus had Harry review the process of making the difficult Wolfsbane. Harry repeated the list of ingredients from memory and stumbled over the rote recall of the procedure only a bit. Severus nodded in satisfaction. "See? We even got a bit of Potions in today."

Harry straightened up under the simple praise and smiled briefly. He watched as Severus poured up the dose of the potion both he and Remus would take. The plan was that Severus would have his dose at hand, and if he felt the transformation begin, he would take it. He hoped that in doing so, he would retain his mind, even as his body changed.

When it was close to moonrise, Remus took his dose. They all went to Severus's room and Severus put his dose within easy reach of where he would be restrained. Remus helped him fasten the cuffs around his wrists and Severus muttered the incantation to secure them. Severus caught Harry's eye and noted the beginnings of panic in them. He opened his arms to him and Harry hurried into them.

Severus murmured, "It will be alright, Harry. We will get through this as we have all the other recent events. In the morning, we will be the stronger for having been through it." He held Harry away from him and looked at him sternly. Harry finally nodded that he understood and Severus gave him a gentle push towards the door.

Remus already had Severus's wand in his hand, and he put up the strengthened wards as soon as they closed the door. Remus led Harry across the hall to his room and said, "You may stay here tonight, if you can stand me being my nasty self."

Harry went to his room and got his make-shift sleeping bag, Prongs, and the small blanket that Jack had been using to sleep on. He arranged them in a corner of Remus's room and settled down to wait. He really did not expect to sleep.

At moonrise, Remus became restless. He paced the floor, muttering under his breath and rubbing his hands together, removing his clothes and throwing them onto the bed. Harry watched with morbid fascination as the body of the man underwent the shifting and reshaping, bones lengthening and growing heavy, hair growing longer and courser, covering the once bare skin. At the end of it, the massive werewolf stood on the hearth, staring at Harry with eerily bright, yellow eyes. He started towards Harry and Jack placed his small puppy body between them, growling with his hackles raised.

It looked as if Remus smirked in amusement at this and he growled low in his throat at the dog. His attitude seemed to say, "Careful, little fellow … I am the alpha male in this room."

Harry even smiled at that and relaxed a little bit. When they heard the crash of furniture across the hall, Harry paled and Remus sank down onto the rug in front of the fire. Harry could see his shoulders shaking as he held his head in his claw-tipped paws.

Harry got up and went to sit beside him and Remus looked up with eyes that were flashing gold sparks. For a moment, the look of raw fury made Harry afraid, but the look quickly softened as Remus stared back.

A shout caused both of them to look at each other in surprise. When it was repeated, they both scrambled to their feet.

"Harry! Get me out of these monstrosities!"

They ran across the hall, Harry unconsciously waving his hand to open the door to Severus's room even as he approached it. When they entered, they saw Severus sitting on the floor. The dresser was turned over, apparently done in an effort to break the magical bindings by hand. Harry opened the bindings and Severus rubbed his wrists where they were grazed.

Severus picked up the empty potions vial and made a toasting motion to the other two. "The Wolfsbane works for me, preventing my physical transformation as well. As soon as I knew I was beginning to transform, I took it. Now I just feel curiously unsettled, like I did before the curse took its full effect. It's as if the beast is just under the surface."

He stared back at the werewolf's intent gaze for a long moment. "This means that I might be able to further modify the potion so that it prevents your physical transformation. I will begin work on it immediately."

Remus nodded, a lip curling up to reveal sharp canine teeth. He turned and went back to his room. Wordlessly, Harry followed and resumed his place in the corner. Severus took up a seat in a chair. Harry did fall asleep, a feeling of peace stealing over him. Severus was safe from change and he had promised to improve the Wolfsbane for Remus. A content smile was on his lips and it was not unnoticed by the Potions Master nor the werewolf.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

The aching in Severus's joints passed as the moon did, leaving him tired and as worn as the werewolf. Severus now understood how the perpetual exhaustion had come to be etched into the face of the werewolf. Even with the Wolfsbane, the moon had pulled his life forces with it as it moved across the night sky. His resolve to work on an improved formula grew stronger, while at the same time he felt a twinge of guilt that he was resolved because it now involved his needs.

He poured hefty doses of Pepper Up Potion for the two of them, setting one down in front of Remus as he chugged his own quickly.

Harry had gone to shower and Remus took the opportunity to talk. "If this mental healing works, I must get back to Portugal. If I go back with Wolfsbane, they may still be receptive to choosing the side of the light."

Severus nodded as he sipped the coffee he had chosen over tea. "It will take a few days to brew the quantity I planned on. After that, I will keep it constantly, so you will have a ready supply. I'll start my research into its modification right away. I will need you to test it at the next full moon."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Severus had spent the morning starting the Wolfsbane. Harry had joined him, stating his determination to become proficient at it.

"The two people I care most about need it. What if something happens to you and you can't brew it? Someone else needs to know how it's done."

Severus barely bit back that undoubtedly something _would_ happen … it always did, didn't it? He looked at the resolve on Harry's face and knew that this was one thing that might keep him anchored in the present; a purpose to living that Remus had talked to him about.

He dredged up a patience he didn't feel up to and told Harry to set up another cauldron. "If yours comes out acceptably, you may add to the quantity you brew next time. Take care now, and remember to think two steps ahead while checking to see that you've followed the previous steps accurately." He waved a hand and the instructions appeared on a chalk board.

They worked silently after that, Severus keeping an eye on Harry's brew as he added ingredients. By lunchtime, the brews were ready to simmer; Harry's only a few minutes behind Severus's. The color of his was not as brilliant, but Severus nodded.

"It is acceptable."

"Will it be strong enough, though?" Harry asked anxiously.

"Not quite as strong as mine, but it will keep the mind of the werewolf sane," Severus answered honestly.

Remus called them to lunch and they put protective fields over the potions, Severus teaching Harry the spells that guarded simmering potions, and alerted him to the time to add the next steps.

After lunch, they all went to the veranda. It was a peaceful place, the breeze keeping it from the humidity of the garden while still being shaded from the sun. The waves coming onto shore in the distance added a soothing rhythm.

Severus looked at Harry. "Are you ready to attempt this? You will have to let me into your mind consciously, not like in the dream state."

Harry looked at him sadly. "You know everything bad there is to know. You taught me how to Occlude and I added to that on my own. It'll be hard, but I think I can drop my shields enough for you."

There was no shame or embarrassment as Harry Potter went to the arms of Severus Snape. He had learned to trust this man before and he knew he had to find it again. He desperately needed the link between them to work. He needed to find a way to live with all that had happened. He hoped that the link would heal the heaviness in his heart.

Severus closed his eyes, holding Harry in a tight hug. "Clear your mind now. Let me inside it. I cannot see the wounds like we could see them before, when we were physically injured. Our minds have to connect; you've told me how you feel, now you have to let _me_ _feel_ the pain you have been harboring in your soul …"

Harry tried to pull away from him then, not wanting Severus to feel all of that. Severus only held him more securely and Harry gave in. If anyone could take more pain, this was the man.

The two of them sank to the ground, arms around one another. Harry forced himself to let the shields down in his mind. He felt Severus as he stepped inside. Floodgates of emotion opened drowning them both in anguish. Harry felt Severus mentally reeling from it and almost let go of him again. Severus refused to let go and Harry knew that he would not let go without taking on some of what was inside Harry.

From the outside of all this, Remus watched, waiting and hoping.

… _Severus brought up the image of the labyrinth tapestry. It expanded and grew, tilting into a horizontal plane, until they were standing at the entrance of a pathway. Together, they walked the path, other ghostly images and ghostly echoes of Harry's mind twisting around them. The dream Harry clutched the hand of Severus as they walked amidst gruesome memories. It seemed to take forever, but they reached the center at last. _

_On a stone pillar there was a Penseive, cold and empty. Severus turned to Harry and said, "This is where you leave all that is hurting you. Leave it in there –" he indicated the Penseive with a jerk of his head –"and when we walk out, there they will stay."_

_Harry looked up at him in surprise__ "That's all? If you had told me, I could have done it myself."_

_Severus shook his head. "Lupin was the one who made me remember that I am supposed to be the sentinel of your mind. It is in my prophecy that I lead you here and help you find relief from your own thoughts. It is here that I will seal the pain of them away."_

"_Will I forget what happened, then?" Harry asked hopefully._

"_I do not think so. In reality, a Penseive is merely a vessel that allows one to focus the memories more clearly as well as let another view them. By leaving them here symbolically, we will take away the power they have had to wear you down, diminish them and set them back into a manageable perspective."_

_In his dream state, Severus handed Harry his wand. He kept hold of it too as Harry took it, and together they placed the tip at Harry's temple. Severus murmured the spell for drawing out memory and they slowly pulled out a thick streamer. After dropping it into the stone bowl, they returned the wand to Harry's temple. Again and again, the streamers came free, some writhing angrily and reluctantly, but all eventually finding themselves dropped into the filling bowl. It took what seemed hours to remove everything, and each time they did, another echo disappeared from hovering around them._

_At last, Harry nodded in relief. "That's all, I think." _

_Severus looked at him for several seconds before pulling out__his own wand. Harry remembered that look, the one heralding another Legilimency invasion. Severus asked, "Are you ready for me to make certain?"_

_Swallowing hard, Harry nodded. "Just get it over with."_

"_Legilimens!" was shouted before Harry could finish giving his assent._

_Harry braced himself, throwing up the shields to protect the good memories. He found them easier to protect with the bad ones out of the way._

_After a few moments, Severus lowered his wand. Harry stared up at him and he gave an approving nod. "Well done, Harry."_

_That praise alone was something Harry had never imagined he would hear from Severus Snape. He smiled softly, and they began the walk back out of the labyrinth, leaving the nightmares behind …_

On the veranda, Harry stepped back from where he had been held by Severus. They stared at each other for a long moment before Harry sighed in relief.

"I can still recall it all, but it's more distant now, like it's not really me that remembers it, or they're not mine to remember." His eyebrows drew together. "That makes no sense at all, does it?"

"It makes perfect sense," Severus said quickly. "We diminished the power of them, not the memory of them."

Remus looked from one to the other. "Then it worked?"

Severus and Harry both looked at him and answered simultaneously, "Yes."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_A/N: A very special thanks to logicalquirk for pulling a double shift on this chapter. I am glad she caught my big canon goof, or I would have looked a fool to you all! I suppose I never realized that the Wolfsbane Potion only allowed the victim to retain their mind. I thought it prevented physical transformation as well. My teenager just rolled her eyes at me, "Duh, mom!" Anyway, I had to revise a lot of conversation relating to the use of Wolfsbane Potion. There may have been other erroneous references in past chapters. Please excuse them and go on about your business!_

_If you are a member of the Yahoo First(underscore)Prophecy Group, you know that I uploaded a file containing a recent contest entry of mine. I am trying to expand my writing experiences, since I really do aspire to a serious career in writing. I love fanfiction, but alas, HP isn't mine and I can't make a dime from it! So if anyone comes across any contests in their internet searches, pass 'em on to me! I just might give them a try!_

_I wanted to say, too, that I'm sorry for not updating Search For His Soul recently. I told logicalquirk that Miss Muse seems to be developing it in fits and starts, and not at all in order! In fact, I may have another one-shot to post that will be from SFHS. I just have to be brave enough!_


	41. Chapter 41

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 41

The three of them soon resumed a more normal routine. Remus conducted some lectures in History and Transfiguration theory, while Severus covered Potions and Defense. They took it in turns to cover the other subjects, and Harry sailed through it all easily with the one-on-one instruction. When Harry had gone to bed at night, the two men discussed his rapid progress. They came to the conclusion that his ability to grasp the theories and the practical aspects of magic had come about in the same way as his developing New Moon Magic, as they referred to it. Harry had begun to exert more control over that and he felt more relaxed because of it.

Remus sat down with Harry a few weeks later and gave Harry an outline of topics that he would need to continue to cover. Harry questioned him about this.

"Why are you telling me all this now?"

"I must leave soon. I need to get back to my mission in Portugal." He took in Harry's saddened expression and leaned towards him as they sat at the table. "I will do my utmost to return often this time. I definitely won't wait years before I see you again."

Harry searched the gold eyes of the werewolf and saw the truth there, and something more. Remus quickly looked away and Harry reached out to grab his hand. "What is it, Remus?"

Remus smiled at him and squeezed Harry's hand in return. "Nothing, cubchild. I will miss you, is all. It will be harder for me to focus on the werewolf clans now that we have grown closer." He let go of Harry's hand to reach up and muss his hair instead. "Try not to let Severus turn you completely Slytherin while I'm gone."

Harry grinned and bent back to the essay he was working on.

Harry and Severus completed the case of Wolfsbane Potion over the next several days. Remus met with Dumbledore and they planned what tactics Remus would try next with the werewolf clans. The clans were becoming more and more restless and there were reports that Fenrir Greyback was moving amongst them, sowing discord against Dumbledore and pushing the werewolves toward siding with Voldemort.

On the last evening that Remus was to be with them, Harry sat in front of the fire with Jack, absentmindedly throwing chips of wood into the flames. His demeanor was subdued and even Jack lay with his head on his paws, sensing that Harry was not in a mood to play.

Severus watched him for awhile and then looked at Remus. Clearing his throat, he stood up. "I have some work waiting in the lab. Lupin …" He narrowed his eyes for a moment. "Remus … keep yourself safe." He turned and walked out of the room quickly, ignoring their astonished faces.

Harry looked at Remus. "He called you by your given name!"

Remus looked merely amused now and nodded. "Yes, he did, didn't he? And the world is still standing and hell has not frozen over … at least not that I know of."

His face grew serious and he sat down beside Harry, leaning down on an elbow. From that vantage point, he looked up at Harry. Harry studiously avoided the gold eyes and Remus finally said quietly, "It's okay to be angry at me for having to leave. It might make you feel better to yell."

"I don't want to be angry with you … but it's not fair." Harry stood up and began to pace the room. "It's not fair that I only got to have you here because I was weak and needed you. It's not fair that you have to go up against the clans all on your own. It's dangerous and I'm scared for you, and-" He pressed the heels of his hands against his closed eyes, willing himself not to cry.

He felt the strong arms come around him then and he turned to face Remus. Remus hugged him tightly and whispered, "You are not weak any longer. You're getting stronger every day. I'll come back as soon as I can. I have to come back for more Wolfsbane, you know. Between you and Severus, I'll have a great deal to bargain with."

Harry felt as if he was saying a final good-bye and he couldn't stop the torrent of tears that fell on Remus's shoulder. Remus continued to hold him for a long while before finally stepping back. He kept an arm around Harry's shoulder and put a hand up to the side of his face. His own golden eyes were glistening and he smiled at Harry.

"James and Lily would be so proud of their son … I know that wherever they are, they know what's happened, and they _are_ proud of how you have dealt with life, how you are continuing the fight against Voldemort. _I_ am proud of you too."

Harry tried to smile back, but failed. His hand went to Remus's long hair and he rubbed a section between his fingers. "What will I do if I lose you too?"

Remus hugged him fiercely and growled, "I will do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen. But Harry, you must promise me that you won't give up if something _does_ happen to me." When Harry remained silent, he hugged him harder. "Promise me!" he demanded.

Harry hugged him back and finally whispered, "I promise."

Remus relaxed his hold and stood back again. "I should go. Albus has a Portkey waiting to take me back to Portugal." He touched Harry's face one last time as he walked backwards to the hearth. "I love you, Harry." Then he was gone in a flash of green floo flames.

Harry sat back down in front of the fire, staring into the flames, letting the tears fall for as long as they wanted, now that no one was here to see. Jack crawled into his lap and Harry

petted the little dog while he waited for the storm of emotion to pass.

His eyes were red but dry when Severus came back later. He handed Harry a cup of hot chocolate and Harry gratefully sipped it. When it was time for bed, they walked up the stairs together, Severus stopping outside Harry's door.

"Would you like a sleeping potion?"

Harry shook his head. He started into the room and then turned back. "Severus …"

"Yes?"

"You won't leave, will you?"

"I have no plans to." He scrutinized Harry's face and added, "If you need to talk, you know you may call me. My side of the link is open to you."

Harry impulsively hugged the tall man and then went quickly into his room. He deliberately left the door open. He heard Severus walk down the hall to his own room, and when he looked he saw that Severus had left his door open as well.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

The two of them settled into a routine of class, potion brewing, duel training, and trips to the beach with Jack. Severus didn't do lectures for the subjects other than Potions or Defense/Offense. They discussed the chapters Harry read in the other subjects, and then discussed the essays he wrote afterwards. The debates occasionally grew heated, but they would each willingly back down and concede to the other, once a valid victory could be claimed.

Severus was encouraged to see Harry's response to letters sent by Draco, Ron, and Hermione. At first, he would just set them aside after reading them. After he had answered one from Hermione, it seemed to break open his hesitance and he began to respond to each one.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The weeks drifted by and Harry gave no thought to how much time had passed, even though it seemed like a lifetime in between the brief messages he got from Remus, and his even more brief stops to get more Wolfsbane. So it was a surprise when he entered the living area one morning and found Severus waving an evergreen tree into the corner.

"It's Christmas? Already?"

"It will be soon enough. I like looking at the lighted tree as much as looking into a good fire." He scowled after that admission and looked at Harry sternly. "If you tell anyone I said that, I will flay you within an inch –"

"Okay, okay!" Harry threw up his hands in surrender, grinning.

They spent the morning decorating the tree and Harry was further surprised at how much Severus enjoyed that. Severus caught him looking at him while he was smiling at the tree and he narrowed his eyes in threat.

Harry widened his eyes and said, "Who would I tell that would believe me? They'd think I had finally gone around the bend if I said you had been smiling at the Christmas tree. I think your secret is safe with me." He moved off to the side then, his face clouding. "Merlin knows you have enough secrets about _me_."

Severus put down the gossamer silver threads he had been laying in each branch. He came and stood next to Harry and put a hand on his shoulder. He was gratified that Harry didn't flinch at the contact anymore. "I would never reveal any of your secrets, you know."

Harry looked up at him and nodded. "I know. Sometimes it just seems too big to think about … you knowing everything that's happened to me."

Severus remained silent for a few moments and then said quietly, "You know that Albus expects us to return to Hogwarts after the holidays. You should be preparing yourself to be among other people."

Harry nodded. "I'll miss it being just us. Everything seems so much simpler here."

"Yes, but it's not how life is."

"At least not for me, you mean? I have to face it all until I manage to kill Voldemort. I _know_." He shook off Severus's hand and walked rapidly out of the room.

Severus sighed. Harry's mood changes had not been as volatile lately, but they still took him by surprise when it seemed Harry shifted directions so quickly. He knew better than to force him to 'talk' about it. That never went well. Harry could be as stubborn as Severus was sarcastic. It always ended with Harry yelling for Severus to teach him the right curse for killing Voldemort so he could get the deed done and be at peace. Severus would finally manage to soothe the boy and Harry would finally give in to tears of frustration at his misplaced anger and lingering death wish. Severus would hold him in a tight embrace, the calming charm repeated until Harry's tension melted.

No, this time, Severus held himself back from following after Harry. When they returned to Hogwarts, he would have to be able to deal with these feelings on his own.

He began to put the silver threads on the tree again and heard Harry's voice. He turned, thinking Harry had come back into the room.

'_Severus?'_

The voice was coming through the link. Harry was communicating through it again.

'_Severus … oh Merlin … you got tired of waiting, didn't you … you closed to link to me …'_

'_Harry, I'm here.'_

The silence drew out, but Severus could feel the undercurrent of relief in the silence. _'I – I'm sorry. I'm trying to be mature about it all. I know I have a job to do … I just hate it, though.'_

'_I hate it, as well. I'm sorry for needing to remind you about going back.'_

'_Can I come back and help with the tree?'_

'_I was saving the best part for you.'_

'_Really?'_

Severus looked up when Harry came back in the door. He picked up another box and held it out to Harry. Harry opened it and pulled out an elaborate star ornament. As he held it up, it began to glow and pulse in his hand, almost a living thing.

Severus saw the look of awe as Harry stared at it and then looked at him. "For the top of the tree? I get to put it on?"

"I believe that honor is always given to the youngest in the home," Severus said softly.

"I never –" Harry started to say, meaning to say how that honor had never been given to him when he lived with the Dursleys. His hands shook with emotion and Severus came forward, steadying him.

There was a low step stool that Severus had been using, and he now levitated it closer to the tree. Harry stepped up on it, and then up on his toes to place the star on top of the highest point of the tree. When he stepped down, the star began to pulse even brighter, changing colors from within like a miniature Aurora Borealis.

Severus put an arm around Harry's shoulders. "Happy Christmas, Harry"

OoOoOoOoOoO

Their routine revolved around the tree, as Harry became fascinated with the everchanging light from the star, and the fact that he was allowed to touch the ornaments as much as he wanted. He had finally confided to Severus that he had not once been allowed to be in the same room as the Christmas tree at the Dursley's. Uncle Vernon had proclaimed it a sacrilege if 'his kind' were to be in the same room as such a joyous symbol of goodness. 

Severus merely nodded at these revelations, carefully masking his rage at the treatment that had been meted out to the little boy. Harry had never had any of the things that make childhood exciting, fun, or wondrous. Severus should not be surprised at new information confirming this, but it always managed to strike him anew. It always caused him to feel more guilt at his own previous assumptions about Harry's childhood.

But it also renewed his determination to give him something good now. It seemed imperative that there be some positives to help tip the balance back into line. He tried not to think about what others would say about him if they saw the lengths he was going to make Harry's Christmas happy. His snarky reputation would be in tatters if they knew how he was planning with Dobby and Albus for an unforgettable Christmas morning …

OoOoOoOoOoO

Jack proved to be everything a boy could want in a companion. He followed Harry and now obeyed every command, whether worded or a simple hand motion. Severus listened in on conversations Harry had with the dog, whenever he was near enough to hear them. Harry had begun to talk to the dog as if he were a human being instead of an animal. Jack would sit and keep his eyes fixed on Harry for as long as he spoke, never fidgeting or whining. The dog was obviously intelligent, and he rarely left Harry's side. He didn't beg at the table, because he was confident that Harry would give him a tasty tidbit afterwards.

Harry came in one day and gave Jack the wordless signal to sit. Severus looked up when Harry said to the dog, "Severus is your master, too. If he ever calls you, you are to obey him."

Jack looked intently at Harry, his head cocked to the side. Severus commented, "I doubt he understands such a concept, Harry. Crups are notoriously one-master animals. I appreciate the sentiment, but it's unnecessary."

Harry just looked at Severus and shook his head. "It's not just a sentiment. Jack needs to know who to go to if he can't come to me. I don't want him to be confused." He stepped across to the other side of the room. "Call him to you, using this hand signal." He demonstrated the finger-snapping motion.

Jack sat where he had been told, looking attentively between the two of them. Severus didn't believe it would be possible, but he felt that he should prove it to Harry. So when he made the motion for Jack to 'come', and Jack obeyed without hesitation, Severus raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I am impressed. I stand corrected." He reached a hand down and scratched the dog behind his ears. Jack let his mouth open, and with an outstretched tongue gave Severus a small lick. Then he sat back and appeared to be grinning at them with his quiet panting.

Severus looked at the dog for several moments before leaning down and saying, "You belong to Harry. You are to protect him at all cost."

Jack tilted his head at him, as if considering his words. Then he gave a sharp bark and trotted back to sit next to Harry's feet. Severus raised his eyebrows again. "I am not entirely convinced that he didn't just do that by chance. But, on the off chance that he does in fact understand every word we say, well done … to both of you."

Harry bent down and scooped the small dog up, the two of them looking like any ordinary boy and his best furry friend. They walked back out of the room and Severus sat in thought for a long time. He had not seen a great deal of written material about Crups. He wondered how far their magical abilities extended, and how much of it was in Jack. The dog certainly seemed to learn at a phenomenal rate. He appeared to understand every word they said, and not just the nuances a dog usually gathered from body language and tone of voice.

He shook his head. Jack had helped Harry by giving him a responsibility that was fulfilling and fun. He had given him a right of passage that a boy should have, in having a loyal pet. If he turned out to be more, then so much the better.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Christmas morning came before sunrise, when Jack began licking Harry's face insistently. Harry kept pushing him away and trying to cover his head with his pillow. "G'way, Jack!"

Jack took the pillow in his teeth and tugged it away, jumping back on Harry and licking his nose. Harry finally sat up with a sigh. "It's not even light out. What's the hurry?"

Jack barked sharply and ran from the room. Curious, Harry followed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. In the living area, Severus was already there, sitting and drinking his usual cup of tea and reading the paper. He looked up when Harry entered.

"It's about time. Did you plan to sleep all day?"

"It's not even light outside! We're _supposed_ to still be asleep," Harry grumbled.

"Not if you wish to use your Christmas gift." He indicated a wrapped shape beside the hearth.

Even wrapped, Harry knew immediately that it was a broom. He hesitantly took it in his hands and looked at Severus. "But I already have a broom …"

Severus shrugged. "Not here. Besides, I have a cauldron, but it doesn't mean that I can't have another one of a different type."

Harry rolled his eyes at that comparison and turned back to rip the wrapping paper off the broom. He sat down in amazement. "It's … it's … a racing broom!"

"Your Firebolt is an excellent Quidditch broom. You have there a broom designed to make unlimited height and speed for the wizard capable enough to shield themselves from the stress of such maneuvers on their body."

Harry caressed the slender ash handle and examined the tail twigs. Severus had gotten up and now sat down on the floor beside Harry. He pointed to the central core of the twigs.

"This Moontrimmer is the newest Falcon model. The core has a tail feather from Fawkes. He was more than willing to donate it and the custom broom maker incorporated it for you. That means that once you set it to your magic, no one else will be able to use it. He did caution me, however, that you should set some temporary limits for yourself. It will quickly reach unprecedented heights, so he warned that you should be very proficient at charms that allow you to stay warm and breathe at high altitudes."

Harry sat there staring at the marvel in his hands and then looked up at Severus with shining eyes. "It's too much … it must have been too expensive …"

Severus held up a hand to stop his protests. "I could not have afforded it on my own. However, after an annoying amount of correspondence with Miss Granger, your friends, the other Hogwarts professors, and myself pooled our resources to acquire it for you."

Harry threw himself at Severus and gave him a hard hug, before jumping up and taking the broom in hand. He could feel the power of it, and it reminded him of the first time he held his wand.

Severus spoke from beside him, "You must merely invoke your right of ownership. "_Ascisio_ is the incantation, then add your name."

Harry repeated the key phrase and the broom glowed briefly in his grip, a shimmery, pale yellow glow that swirled around the broom itself and up Harry's hand before sinking into the ash handle.

"Can I fly now?"

"That is why I got you up this early. The broom should have a built-in invisibility shield. Try to learn that first, and you may fly as long as you wish."

Harry's grin made all the effort expended in getting such a gift and keeping it secret worth it. He carried his cup of tea with him to follow Harry out the door to the gardens. Jack leaped up hopefully, but sat back at Severus's feet when Harry motioned to him. For a few moments, Harry experimented with the Invisibility Charm. Severus knew he had taken flight when he felt the rush of wind pass by his head.

He called out, "Breakfast will be ready when you return. Please don't turn it into lunch!"

OoOoOoOoOoO

Harry flew again after breakfast, and again after lunch and dinner. Severus merely smirked at the red-cheeked glow and the wildly mussed hair. They discussed several high altitude tolerance charms, but it seemed that Harry had simply come up with an incantation that worked well enough for him, even though it wasn't one of the ones Severus was familiar with.

Following his after-dinner flight, Harry threw himself onto the sofa in exhaustion. Jack was overjoyed at having the boy on the ground and still. He clambered all over Harry's inert body, poking at him with his nose and pawing insistently at Harry's hands.

Harry finally gave in with a laugh and rough-housed with the little dog, teasing and wrestling in a way that had the dog's tail wagging madly and Harry giggling over his antics.

He ate a late snack and looked over at Severus. The man had let him have the entire day to play on the new broom. There were still wrapped gifts under the tree. Harry retrieved the ones he had gotten for Severus and laid them in the man's lap as he was reading.

Severus looked up at him and an eyebrow quirked. "So, is it finally time for the rest of the presents?"

Harry smiled sheepishly. "I got carried away! You know how much I love to fly, and then you give me the most amazing broom on earth—how would you expect me to do anything else except fly all day?"

Severus held up a belaying hand. "I am teasing, Harry. We had all hoped that the broom would be an acceptable gift. I had no idea how much you would really enjoy it."

Harry impulsively gave Severus a hard hug. "It's the best thing I ever got!"

Severus opened his gifts from Harry, appreciating the first edition _Potion Masters of the World_, and a set of new stirring rods made of different and rare woods and metals.

They each sat contentedly sipping tea and then Severus spoke evenly, "You have not emptied your stocking yet."

"Stocking?" Harry looked at the fireplace in surprise, not having noticed the stretched out sock that hung on one side." He looked at it for several moments, mouth open in wonder. When he looked back at Severus, he knew he did not have to say that he had never had the pleasure of a Christmas stocking before. Severus knew. Severus had remembered.

"Dobby had quite a time coming up with what he thought you would like. Miss Granger helped him, I believe."

Harry slowly got up and took the stocking off its hook with trembling fingers. Sitting on the hearth rug, he began to take out the small wrapped packages. None of it was particularly expensive, or rare, but each thing was something that Harry had never had for his own. He smiled at the Muggle trinkets, knowing that Hermione had probably had quite a time convincing Dobby to include them. Amongst everything was a yo-yo, a harmonica, a set of Gobstones (Harry thought that Hermione had most likely intended them to be marbles until Dobby had his way!), various Muggle sweets and pieces of fruit.

The last gift was wrapped very carefully in a different pattern of paper. Harry opened it to find an intricately carved wooden sphere. After a moment, he saw that it was actually a puzzle that could be taken apart and it was a challenge to get it back together. When he did get it back together, he held it up triumphantly.

Severus looked at him with a shake of his head. "I suggest that you do not tell Dobby or Miss Granger that you solved it in less than 10 minutes. They were convinced that it would occupy you for days."

Harry looked more closely at the sphere. It was covered with rune symbols. "What does it say?"

"You'll have to ask them. Dobby was insistent that you have something elf made, to make up for the lack of gifts in your childhood. He made it himself, so I don't doubt that the symbols are significant."

Harry gazed at the ball fondly and then went to sit next to Severus on the sofa. He kept his eyes on the toy as he said softly, "I know that you know already, but I have to say it … I never had a Christmas like this, not ever. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon always said that St. Nicholas didn't bring toys to evil freaks like me, not even a piece of fruit in my stocking … not even a stocking …" Severus watched him closely as Harry remembered the painful past, but he kept silent.

Harry continued, "This has been the best day of my life. It means so much that you would do all this for me. I mean, I don't deserve it or anything –"

He stopped when he felt Severus pull him close in an embrace. "You do deserve it, and you deserve much more. I'm glad that you had a good day. I promise it won't be the last."

Harry hugged him back, and then sat back from him. "Thanks for it all."

"You are very welcome."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

A/N:

_Ascisio: latin- meaning to take up, adopt, or receive as one's own._

_I hope everyone has finished or is in the process of reading DH! It took me a little over 25 hours (Hey, I had to sleep a little bit!). I won't put any spoilers here, as there are the groups to go to for that!_

_But I had to say that while I did not like the book at first, it has gotten better. I believe, as one of my friends said, it was a matter of 'Christmas Morning Syndrome'. You get it all built up in your mind, with impossible expectations. Sure, you get what you asked for, but nothing could really be as great as what you hoped for. After coming down from my readers high, I have been able to look at it with less than rose-colored glasses and I find it more acceptable. Love it? Not yet, but I'm getting there! I have my own personal rants and raves, but those are within the group! _

_Happy reading everybody!_


	42. Chapter 42

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

**Chapter 42 **

Severus took Harry back to Hogwarts a few days before the start of the next term. He had to get his labs and office back into his own working order after Slughorn had been there, and Harry needed time to be back in the castle. He spent some time in Gryffindor, trying to come to terms with staying there instead of in his sanctuary. It would not be easy, he knew. But he cared for his friends and he had been away from them too long.

Jack was a steady companion, learning the routes to all the places Harry went, and sometimes beating him there by taking ways that Harry didn't know existed. He ruffled the dog's ears. "We'll have to find a way to update the Marauders Map if you keep finding these other ways. You're such a good boy." Jack gave him a dog grin and licked Harry's hand.

In the Great Hall at mealtimes, Jack was as good as he had been at the villa. The teachers had given him a questioning look when Harry had first allowed him in, but after seeing his restrained behavior, they agreed that he was an acceptable companion, even when dining. After lunch, Dumbledore said, "Harry, we have one more gift for you."

Harry looked at the headmaster in surprise. He had been careful to thank the old wizard for his part in the gift of the Moontrimmer Falcon. Both of them had politely avoided mention of their last meeting prior to Harry's sabbatical. He looked over at Severus and saw a studied lack of expression.

"Another gift? But why?" he asked, puzzled.

"Shall we all go out to the eastern garden?" Dumbledore asked, instead of answering.

The other teachers arose from the table and Harry could see the excitement on their faces, especially those of McGonagall and Sprout. He followed them out the doors of the castle and around to the side of the castle. This side was hardly ever used, the gardens in a tangle of neglect and not many places to comfortably sit and study or have illicit rendezvous.

Harry stopped as he rounded the corner behind everyone else. In place of the old gardens lay a life-size replica of the labyrinth from his tapestry. The paths were laid out in white pebbles, winding a trail through a new growth of various flowering plants. Trellises stood in wait for the growth to cover them, and they would then provide harbors of solitude for stone benches that were placed in front of them.

Harry stood mute with amazement. Wordlessly, he began to walk the path to the center. On each bench along the way were carved runes. When he touched them, they glowed for a moment. At one particular bench the glow left him feeling more at peace with being back at Hogwarts. He looked up at Severus.

"The runes are charmed to help release whatever conflict you are feeling?"

Professors Flitwick and Vector both smiled at how quickly Harry had grasped that. Severus nodded.

Harry continued to the middle of the labyrinth and stood before the simple fountain. The bowl was similar to the Penseive, but was obviously not one. Harry supposed that it would be difficult to keep a real one here for just anyone to use or see memories not meant for them. The fountain's trickling sound was soothing and Harry stood there with his eyes closed for a long time. Shaking himself out of his reverie, he turned and looked at the teachers who had followed silently behind him.

"This is … overwhelming … I never expected the broom, and now this …"

Professor McGonagall stepped forward and smiled, "Harry, it's true we did this for you, but it's also for the entire school. This kind of meditation will be helpful for anyone who seeks it."

Professor Sprout was examining the plantings at the center of the walk and commented, "These will stay green year-round. They are charmed to grow evenly and provide a wind break during even the coldest weather. So you can come here at any time."

Harry looked around at them all, emotion welling up in him. His face flushed and Severus recognized the sudden withdrawal and the tightening of his jaw. He narrowed his eyes at Dumbledore and the headmaster ushered the other teachers back along the path towards the entrance.

Harry stood hunched with his hands in his pockets, looking at the fountain. When Severus touched his shoulder, he leaned into the man's side. "I should've just said thanks."

"They know that you appreciate their efforts."

Harry looked up at him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Could you not call on me for a while in class? I think I'll make an idiot out of myself. I can talk to you, but it just seems hard to talk around other people."

"It will get easier as you go along."

Harry got a resigned look in his eyes and started to turn away. Severus pulled him back and added, "However, practicing with your friends first is likely a better way to start."

Harry put his arms around the man's waist and let himself be hugged. The maze was wonderful, but nothing helped like feeling the security of Severus's arms. It felt like nothing could touch him here. He hoped he could still feel like this the next time Voldemort was in a playful mood.

OoOoOoOoOoO

A black owl dropped a small package by Harry's plate the next morning. The teachers stopped their conversations, curious about what it was and who would have sent him something. His friends would be back shortly, and everyone else was here at Hogwarts.

Harry opened the package and found a length of intricately braided silk enclosed in a letter. He smiled to see Remus's handwriting.

_Harry, _

_This is a craft from the region I have been in. They used my hair to make the braid. I thought you might like to have it as a bookmark. It's not much, but perhaps even from a distance the touch of my hair might bring you some sort of comfort._

_Remus_

Harry looked more closely at what he had thought was silk and he could see the fine, individual hairs that made up the thicker sections before being fashioned into an openwork braid. All the colors of Remus's hair were included, from the still dark to the silver.

Severus reached for the letter, silently asking for permission to read it. At Harry's nod, he scanned it and then looked at the braid with interest. Harry was gently stroking it, turning it over to examine its detail.

He held it out for the other teachers to see and they passed it along to each other. Professor McGonagall explained the Victorian custom of using hair as an art medium to make memorials or keepsakes. This was obviously not a memorial, as Remus was alive. When she would have questioned its significance, Severus halted her with a glare.

Harry took it back when they were finished and asked to be excused. Going up to his room with Jack at his heels, he took the time to enjoy looking at the craft, indulging in the feel of it against his cheek. He wished that Remus was here, and not out amongst the wild werewolf clans, attempting to sway them to Harry's side. While Harry knew that it was necessary, it did not stop him from feeling the deep fear for Remus's life. Greyback was out there. The mission to persuade the werewolves out from under his nose was extremely dangerous. But the power, the sheer physical strength of the clans was not something that could be ignored. That strength might be one of the key elements at the end. Harry took a deep breath and said a silent prayer for the safety of Remus as he clutched the length of braided hair.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Harry nervously waited for his friends to arrive on the train. Professor Dumbledore had allowed him to accompany Hagrid to Hogsmeade so that he could ride to the castle with them. After that last time in Dumbledore's office, he wasn't quite sure how he should act around them. Even though they had exchanged letters, his face burned at the memory of the tantrum they had witnessed.

Ron and Hermione stepped off the Express and saw Harry standing there beside Hagrid. Harry gave a tentative smile and Hermione flew over to him, hesitating only a second before hugging him. Ron followed more sedately, but he couldn't hide the wide smile on his own face. The three of them walked with their arms around each other to the carriages. Before they could get in, a voice stopped them.

"So Potter, are you really back this time, or are you going to get even more special treatment this term?"

Harry stiffened and slowly turned. The speaker was a Slytherin sixth-year, Theodore Nott. Harry was about to answer when Draco strode up.

"Nott. You can ride in our carriage." Draco's voice was imperative, his usual haughty sneer in place.

It looked for a moment like Nott would argue. They could see that he wasn't done with his baiting. When he looked at Draco, the blond gave him a lift of arched eyebrow and a smirk. Nott fell in behind him as he walked away.

Ron shook his head, "I'll never get used to that. How do you know he means it, Harry?"

Harry stood there staring after the Slytherins for a moment. "I just know. He has to make it seem as if he's one of them. He is a Slytherin, after all. There's still junior Death Eaters in the school and he's in a position to find out for sure who they are."

Severus had spent much time going over all that with Harry. He had wanted to make certain that Harry understood the roles that still had to be played, in order for secrets to be kept and information gathered.

Her was about to get into the carriage when he heard Jack yipping. Looking down, he saw the small dog sitting expectantly at his feet. Harry held out his arms and Jack leaped up, licking Harry's chin before settling into the crook of his arm. "You were supposed to wait at the castle. Now you won't be a surprise."

Ron and Hermione smiled at the crup and the adoring way he gazed up at Harry. Harry climbed into the carriage and the other two followed. Running footsteps stopped right outside and three more heads peered at them. Ginny, Seamus and Luna stood there.

"All the other carriages are full," Ginny explained as they all clambered in. Hermione started to reach to pet Jack and stopped at the dog's bared teeth. Harry whispered calmly to the dog and then took Hermione's hand. Jack stretched his neck out and sniffed warily at her, and then at each one of the other occupants in turn. He relaxed after that and let them pet him.

Luna commented serenely, "Crups transform into vicious protectors when provoked. My father interviewed a lady whose crup killed a burglar. She was a Muggle and didn't know how it happened. She didn't even know the dog was a crup. The tiny dog was sitting on the dead burglar when the authorities got there. They said that he died of a heart attack."

Ron looked at Jack and then back at Luna. "No way a crup could kill somebody. I can see that he could give you a good bite, but kill? Na-a-h."

She just gave him a blank sigh and turned back to talk to Ginny. The others all looked at Harry and he shrugged. "Jack is smart, but he's just a dog. Severus couldn't tell if he had any magic or if he's just really intelligent. He's only part Crup."

Hermione scratched the now receptive dog and mused, "I'll have to research it for you. I mean, I doubt he could seriously hurt anyone." She rolled her eyes when Luna glared at her. "Anyway, I hope he gets along with Crookshanks."

The arrived at the castle and climbed out of the carriage. Severus stood on the steps , arms crossed. In Harry's arms, Jack growled low in his throat.

"I think you are in trouble, Jack." Harry put the dog down and he walked up to the Potions Master, tail between his legs. He sat down at Severus's feet, not looking up. Severus snapped his fingers and Jack did look up. At a hand motion from Severus, he got up and trotted away into the castle.

Harry raised his eyebrows at that, but Severus only glared at him in return. Even though it was expected, Harry was surprised at the pang in his chest at the coldness. Through the link, he had to confirm: _'We're just acting, right?'_

'_Yes. It's an act. Go get reacquainted with your friends.'_

A bit of the insecure feeling left him, and Harry joined Ron and Hermione as they picked up their trunks and Crookshanks's basket, and helped get them up to the dorms. Hermione unpacked and immediately came back to the boys dorm and sat on Harry's bed.

"So you're staying here in the dorm, then?" At Harry's nod she hugged him quickly and exclaimed, "I'm so glad you're back with us. We have missed you terribly!"

Ron gave Harry a playful punch to the arm and grinned. "So, how far ahead of us are you now?"

Hermione looked interested in this too and looked at Harry expectantly. He frowned and shrugged. "I don't know. No one has said anything. Maybe I'm behind, for all I know."

"Let's have a look at where you are in your texts—" Hermione started.

Ron interrupted, "No! Let's go down to the feast! We'll have time for that later."

Harry and Hermione rolled their eyes at Ron's predictable need for food. But they all got up and met up with the rest of the returning students as they entered the Great Hall.

All of Gryffindor was glad to see Harry back, and there were a fair number of welcoming calls from other houses as well. Slytherin was at its usual stand off-ish best, but Harry caught the very brief smile from Draco before the blond turned back to his friends. Harry was glad to see that it looked as if Draco was back in good graces with the other Slytherins. He made a mental note to ask Severus later what had happened when the others had discovered Draco's changed loyalties.

Hermione contended that Harry was so far ahead of them, after she had reviewed his progress, that he couldn't stay in the same classes he had been in before. Harry waved that away and he and Ron settled down to catch up on Quidditch. Hermione went to her own room in exasperation when they refused to listen to her say that Harry needed to be moved up to the next year's classes.

"They'll never do that, 'Mione. I never heard of anyone being moved up before," Ron argued.

"It's in Hogwarts, A History, Ronald. Honestly, after everything that always happens, I'd think at least one of you might finally read it."

"But you already read it, and tell us what we need to know, "Ron said with a grin. "Besides, they won't separate us from Harry now that he's back."

Harry nodded in agreement, but inside he began to worry. Would they move him?

The next morning at breakfast, Harry looked up to see Professor McGonagall standing over him. "Mr. Potter, each of your teachers this week will be giving you a separate examination to assess your progress whilst you've been away. All your essays were turned in by Professors Snape and Lupin, but your practical applications need to be seen to. Be prepared to show them your current abilities when you attend class." She gave him a small smile, which was strange, since she rarely smiled at any of them unless she was one-on-one with them.

After she had returned to the head table, Hermione smirked. "See? I told you."

"No, you said they'd move him up. McGonagall said they would test him. All Harry has to do is show them he needs to stay with us," Ron said heatedly.

Harry looked up at the head table and caught Severus's eye. _'When the teachers test me, will they move me to seventh__-__year classes if I can already do the work of sixth?'_

Severus looked at him with an unreadable expression as he took a sip of tea. After a moment, he said, _'Yes. We discussed it yesterday. I told them you had exceeded the practical applications of sixth year while you've been away. They will confirm that and we will make the appropriate changes to your schedule.'_

'_I just won't do as well, then. I want to stay with Ron and Hermione and the rest of my year.'_

'_You will do your best and follow the recommendations of your teachers.'_

'_No one else gets this special consideration. Don't you think you might have asked me first? It will only make things more difficult for me.'_

'_I recognize that. However, the special consideration in your case is necessary. No one else will be expected to stand up to the Dark Lord. You require special consideration for that alone. The more experience you have, the more knowledge you can gain from an advancement, the better prepared you will be.'_

In a flash, Harry could see in his minds eye the resentment among the students when this happened. He knew his own friends would weather it fine after the initial shock, but he also knew he would be in for no small amount of teasing from the rest of the students. He would just have to make sure that he didn't do as well as he could—

'_You _will_ do your best, Harry. I will not argue this with you, and I will know if you have not given your best effort to the other teachers.'_

Harry stood up from the table and walked stiffly out of the Great Hall, Jack following at his heels. Ron and Hermione stood up to follow, but sat back down when they were passed by a blur of black, billowy robes.

Severus followed Harry out the doors of the castle and around to the eastern gardens. Jack looked back once, when he saw Severus coming after them. But after looking from Severus to Harry, he ran to catch up with his boy.

Harry was on the last stone bench before the center of the labyrinth before Severus caught up with him. The walk had cooled both their tempers and Severus merely sat down beside Harry when he reached him. They sat in silence for a bit before Harry asked, "Why does it seem like just when everything gets worked out, something else happens to mess up my life?"

"I understand that you believe that to be true. In this case, however, it is not a bad thing if you move up to the seventh year. Your training is paramount to everything else. I know that your friends are important to you, but your magical education is even more so. You will still be with them at meals and in your house."

"Don't you think that the seventh years might be a tad resentful of me moving into their classes?"

"Perhaps. Perhaps you will be pleasantly surprised, instead."

"The trouble is not knowing what to expect from them. I can't deal with this."

Severus put a hand under Harry's chin and lifted it so that Harry met his eyes. "Yes, you can. You are stronger now than you've ever been, if you will let yourself admit it."

Harry looked into Severus's face, searching it, and finally nodded. "I guess you're right."

"I know that I am right." He squeezed Harry's shoulder and then stood up. "I'll leave you to come to terms with it, then."

Harry watched him walk away and sighed. Sometimes, he hated it when Severus was right. He walked to the center of the labyrinth and stared at the tinkling fountain. "I had no idea that I'd be using you the very first day back," he said to the Penseive-like bowl.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Classes were awkward; just walking back into them was a struggle of putting one foot in front of the other to cross the threshold. The teachers would have a reading or writing assignment already on the board for the other students and call Harry up to their desk. Harry had hoped for his practical examinations to be more private, but they took place in full view of the class. Harry felt Severus's admonition to do his best prickling at him the moment he even considered holding back his skills. He finally just resigned himself to performing as expected, trying not to let the increasing pleasure in the teachers' eyes increase his own displeasure.

It was a few days away from the next new moon, and Harry had achieved the control over his power that they had been aiming for during the sabbatical. It was still new, and a delicate balance, but Harry could feel the moment he succeeded to sway the balance into control when he started feeling resentful of the proceedings. The flickers of heat were suppressed and he was able to flawlessly execute all the spells and incantations each professor requested. The brighter their expressions, the more Harry's fell. The students in the classrooms watched instead of doing their assignments and Harry was glad to see that at least the Gryffindors seemed to show admiration along with their envy, unlike the resentment shown by the Slytherins.

By dinner time Harry was drained, and while hungry, he also felt a nausea at the thought of food. Hermione hounded him into eating at least a few spoonfuls of soup before he simply put his head down on his arms with a tired sigh.

If he thought the day had come to a merciful end, he was wrong. Professor Dumbledore stood up before dessert was served.

"If I might have a brief moment of your time?" His voice caused the hall to go quiet. "Today, some of the teachers gave a special examination to a student to assess their abilities. In light of the overwhelming success of this student, I am happy to announce that Mr. Harry Potter of Gryffindor will now be placed into the seventh year classes. Please extend your congratulations to Mr. Potter. I am certain his former year mates are quite proud, and his new year mates will be as well. As for the rest of Hogwarts, we should all be proud of one of our own when they succeed so brilliantly." With that, he sat down and all manner of sweets and desserts appeared on the tables as if in celebration.

Harry's face burned as those around him thumped him on the back and called out their well wishes. He heard similar calls from the other tables and tried to smile, knowing it looked like a feeble one at best. In his mind, Severus spoke,

'_I am proud of you, Harry.'_

That simple statement went a long way towards helping him feel better. He gave a slightly brighter smile at the Potions Master, before he was swallowed by more Gryffindors as they all sought to give personal congratulations.

In his heart of hearts, Harry hoped that the transition from being in sixth year classes to seventh would go smoothly. In the part of himself that dealt with reality, he knew that nothing ever went smoothly for him. First class to attend was Astronomy Lecture. Professor Sinistra smiled broadly when Harry entered the classroom, banishing any hope of a quiet entrance with her enthusiastic welcome.

"Welcome, Mr. Potter. We are all thrilled to have you join us. I cannot express how delightful I found your inspired essays on moon phases! Perhaps you'd care to give a lecture on the subject?"

Harry stood with his mouth open, uncertain how to say no in a way that wouldn't get points lost for refusing a teacher's request. Sinistra maintained her expectant expression until he felt compelled to give a brief nod as he hurried to a desk. Keeping his head down as the others found their own seats, he became aware that a shadow fell across him. Thinking that it was Sinistra, he looked up. A tall boy, whom he recognized as having been the Slytherin Seeker before Draco, loomed menacingly.

"You are in my seat, Potter." His voice was cold. Harry stared up at him for a moment and then decided that it might be best simply to move rather than argue.

He gathered his bag and the parchment he had been busying himself with and stood up. As Terence Higgs slid into the seat in his place, he shoved Harry. He went sprawling into the aisle amid snickers from the surrounding Slytherins. Sinistra hurried back to him, trying to help him to his feet as he picked up the book bag and some of the items that had spilled from it. Harry tried to shrug off her help without seeming unappreciative, but she was intent on getting him into his seat. He felt his face redden as she fussed over him for a few moments as he settled.

When she walked back up to the front to begin class, Higgs leaned over to him. "Don't get comfortable, boy. You won't last long."

Harry slumped in his seat, dreading the rest of the day even more.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

_**A/N:**__ I know. Not a good place to end the chapter. But part of the fun is being able to leave a cliffie every once in awhile.!_

_Just for clarification; the labyrinth maze garden in this story will be a place where Harry, or any student, can go to meditate. It was made by the teachers, using Harry's labyrinth tapestry as a guide. In real life, a labyrinth differs from a maze in that there are no dead ends. The intricate path always leads to the center. The purpose is to walk the path contemplating your worries or sorrows. At the center, you leave them and walk back out in better spirits. If you do a search for labyrinths, you will find an amazing (no pun intended!) variety from history. There are gardens, as well as churches, who employ them into their designs. I thought it would be a useful place in the future of the story, if the labyrinth could be brought from Harry's secret rooms to a place where it is visible to everyone. _

_Time to say that I in no way own any of the Harry Potter stuff out there. Only my ideas and plots are mine. JKR et al owns everything! But I do thank her for letting me play here in the Alternate Universe. This story is totally AU now. While I may use some reference to canon events, after POA and the presumed death of Sirius, it is all AU. I guess OotP happened here, but Umbridge does not exist here._

_Thanks you to my wonderful beta, __**logicalquirk!**_


	43. Chapter 43

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 43

By the time lunch rolled around Harry would have much preferred his bed, behind closed curtains, to facing the Great Hall. He had no appetite at all, and he had plenty of reasons to wish to avoid people. But he met Ron and Hermione in the corridors as he tried to make his way against the surge of students headed to the Hall and they turned him around. A hand on each of his elbows propelled him inside and to the Gryffindor table.

Jack saw him come in and trotted from his place beside Severus's feet down to Harry. Harry scooped the dog up and allowed him to give him a wet 'kiss' on the cheek. He looked up at the head table and met Severus's eye.

Black eyes narrowed at Harry's pale face. _'That bad, I take it?'_

'_Please ask them to let me go back to sixth year …'_

'_By moving you ahead, we keep your progression going. You are beyond sixth year capabilities. The challenge will give you added strength and advantage.'_

'_That won't do me a lot of good if the seventh year Slytherins have anything to say about it.'_

Severus tensed and Harry could feel it in his mind, as if his fingers had actually gripped his shoulders_. 'Who?'_

'_Did you suspect that someone would make a move? Thanks for letting me know before I was made to look like a clumsy idiot—'_

'_Who, Harry?'_

Harry narrowed his own eyes at Severus and then bent his head back down to Jack's playful nose. _'Higgs. But it seemed like Nott was going to be after me at the train, too.'_

He saw Snape scanning the room when he glanced up again. Sitting down, Harry put Jack on the floor and slipped him a bite of sandwich meat. When he looked up again, Severus was writing on a piece of parchment, Dumbledore leaning in slightly to look onto the page. A flick of his wrist had the note tied to a school owl that landed lightly in front of them for a moment.

Harry watched as the owl soared up and swirled into the mass of owls hovering in circles at the ceiling. He lost track, and thought it might even be one of the ones that flew out the tall windows back to the owlery. Then he saw an owl swoop down and land in front of Draco. It may have been the same one … Harry couldn't be positive since all the school owls were so similar in appearance.

The voice in his head had him turning back to his plate, _'Yes, I sent a message to Draco. If you would pay more attention to eating—'_

'_But it's lunch time … there are never this many owls in here unless it's breakfast.'_ Harry began to notice that there had been numerous deliveries during the lunch period. At every table there were students reading messages that had been taken from owls. Faces were tense until whatever the note said had been read. Then the student seemed to either collapse with relief or be even more tense.

Harry slowly served himself some soup and a half sandwich. Next to him, Ron was watching as the twins read a piece of parchment. When they had finished, they passed it down to him. Ginny was on Ron's other side and they both huddled over the note.

Harry leaned over to Hermione. "What's going on? Is it just me, or does it seem more like everyone is on edge?"

"It's everyone. Apparently, there are rumors of the Death Eaters gathering strength. It's being spread that they are planning to attack either more Muggles, Muggleborns, or blood-traitors."

Harry put a hand up to his scar. "I haven't felt anything, though. Voldemort is always so happy with those kinds of plans that I can't help but feel it."

Hermione looked at him searchingly. "Have you been working on Occlumency? Perhaps you are shutting him out."

"I've never been able to completely shut him out." He looked up at Severus. _'How long has this been going on?'_

'_The rumors and unrest started over the holidays. Albus thought it best to wait until we returned to tell me of it. They are rumors, after all. Nothing has happened.'_

'_Seems like 'nothing' has everyone good and stirred up. Hermione thinks maybe my Occlumency has improved enough so that I didn't feel Voldemort … if I let my shields down, maybe I can get an idea of what's going on.'_

'_You will keep them up. No doubt, something is happening. I am attempting to discover it as we speak.'_

'_You think Draco knows?'_

'_It seems he has been quite resourceful over the holidays. He and Narcissa are still within the social circle that allows them some inside information.'_

'_Does that mean I should avoid him?'_

'_That would be best. If he has gained any kind of trust among Lucius's friends, he may be able to find out what is being planned.'_

'_I don't want him to put himself in danger …'_

'_He was already involved before I knew about it, or I would have put a stop to it.'_

'_Do it now.'_

'_If any of the Death Eaters find that he has a remaining loyalty to me, he will be in even more danger.'_

Harry saw the sense in that, but he still felt a sense of anxiety for Draco. Maybe he had been too new to take their side … maybe they found out and Imperiused him or Narcissa by now … His face must have betrayed at least a little of his thoughts because Hermione put a hand on his arm when he blanched.

Severus answered his unspoken but clear fears. _'Yes. You understand the danger to yourself as well.'_

At his feet Jack gave a plaintive whine and Harry reached a hand down to rub the fur behind an ear. He forgot to eat as he thought about all the ramifications. Voldemort would know about what Harry had been through, courtesy of Narcissa and Draco. Voldemort would know where and how Harry would be weakest. He would be aware of the hot magic, and possibly, how it phased with the moon.

The edges of panic wormed their way into his mind and Severus said harshly, _'Do not lose your focus. Whatever has happened, whatever will be set in motion, we will use it to our best advantage.'_

Harry clenched his jaw_. 'You would allow Draco to be hurt—'_

'_Not if I have a choice, no. But you are not to take any action before discussing it with me. You are not to approach him.'_

Harry remained silent, his shoulders showing how tense he had become in the last few minutes. After a few minutes silence, Severus spoke again, _'I will have your word that you will not act alone, Harry. The situation could be more dangerous than we know.'_

Harry couldn't make himself say the words, but he knew Severus was watching him. He nodded jerkily and then stood up. Motioning to Jack, he walked quickly out of the Great Hall and then out the front doors of the castle.

The day was cold, the wind blowing low clouds across the sky. Jack immediately found a stick and brought it to Harry. Harry threw it for him, Jack running and catching it before it ever hit the ground. He ignored Ron and Hermione when they joined him. It felt as if the heat was rising inside him and he threw the stick even harder each time, trying to siphon it off. His friends remained silent, Hermione conjuring a jar of her blue warming fire to keep their hands from freezing.

Harry threw the stick until Jack stopped fetching it. The dog looked at his boy with his head cocked to the side, as if asking if he was over his anger yet. Harry squatted down and Jack jumped up into his arms. "Thanks, boy." Jack gave him an acknowledging lick.

Harry turned to look at Ron and Hermione and noticed Severus standing in the door of the castle. Harry gave him a nod and the man disappeared.

Ron asked, "Did he think you'd do something?"

"Yeah. He could probably feel the heat in my mind. I've got better control, now, but that was all practice. This is real." He looked at them and sighed. "I guess a lot has happened that they haven't told me. You didn't say anything in your letters."

Hermione glanced at Ron and said, "Dumbledore didn't want us to upset you. We knew you needed time to—heal."

"Well, I'm back now. Tell me what's going on."

They began to walk, Harry letting Jack down. Hermione told Harry about the escalating Death eater activity during the winter break. It was difficult to tell if Voldemort was after specific targets, as the latest victims crossed all the usual ones. There had been deaths among Muggles, especially ones related to Muggle-borns. Harry glanced at Hermione as she talked, but she carefully kept her voice in that fact-giving tone she adopted when lecturing them about class notes. A glance at Ron just gave Harry a pained roll of his eyes. Hermione continued giving Harry a summary of everything that had happened since Harry's—incident.

He didn't say anything about her reference to his ordeal. He was determined that it was as past as he could make it. But he was wondering about her being able to talk about the attacks on Muggles and Muggleborns with such ease.

"Hermione, you sound like you are doing better now … are you alright with what happened to—your parents?"

She stopped and turned to him. Her brown eyes were luminous, suspiciously moist. "I'll never get over it, Harry. I'll never see them again. Nothing is left of that part of my life."

Harry shifted and dropped his gaze from he face. He knew that there was something, at least a memento, of that life. But he could not say anything without incriminating Severus.

Hermione continued, "But it doesn't help me to wallow in what happened. I can't change it." She reached out and put a hand on his arm. He looked back up at her. "I _can_ do my best to make sure they didn't die for a lost cause. I _can_ do whatever it takes to be strong enough to help you defeat Voldemort." Her eyes held Harry's steadily. The three friends finally smiled at each other and began to walk back to the castle for afternoon classes.

Harry summoned up his mask of indifference as he entered Potions. He refused to give Severus any reason to wish Harry hadn't made it into his advanced class. He took a seat hesitantly, seeing that Higgs was also in this class. The Gryffindor side was probably a safe bet, so he had decided on a vacant seat closer to them.

The seventh year Gryffindors had not gone out of their way to make him feel part of any of their groups, but they were friendly enough to him. Hermione had said it wasn't that they were in any way resentful, it was just difficult to let him into groups that had known each other since they were first sorted.

He pulled out his Potions textbook before he realized that it wouldn't be the right text for this class. In this class, no one spoke after sitting down. The assignment was on the board and everyone was busy getting out book, quill and parchment. Harry debated with himself about whether or not to open the link to ask Severus for a book, or to raise his hand. Before he could do either, hands laid a seventh year Advanced Potions text on the desk. He looked up to see Severus give a slight nod of encouragement before he moved back to the front of the class. As Severus began the lecture, Harry was relieved to discover that he had already covered today's topic while at the villa. He had been sure that he would be behind, or perhaps just caught up with the Advanced Potions students. When he had been moved up, this was the class he had feared the most, in spite of having had Severus as a tutor. It looked like Slughorn had not kept up with the lesson plans Severus had left for him. His feelings were confirmed at the end of class when Severus made an announcement.

"I am assigning you double readings until the class has caught up to the point I had planned to be at by this time." There were subdued groans from all around Harry. Severus continued, "I would think that you have the desire to do more than merely pass your NEWTS. By adhering to my schedule and completing the necessary lab work, you will all be suitably prepared."

Nott raised his hand and Severus nodded at him. "What about Potter? Does he get to take the NEWTS just because he's your favorite? Will he get special consideration from the testers because of who he is? I can't think that it's very fair, Professor."

Harry tried not to look up at Severus. He felt the man's anger and his own easily matched it. He put his hands into his lap where their trembling could not be seen. The silence was complete in the room, as every ear tuned itself to hear what response Snape would give. The longer it drew out, the deeper the blush that flooded Harry's cheeks. He could feel their eyes shifting back and forth between Severus, Nott, and himself, like some three-way Muggle ping-pong match.

When Severus spoke, it was with that chillingly calm tone that said that only the tip of the iceberg was visible. "Mr. Nott. Perhaps the discussion of your concerns is something best held in private. You will report here after dinner tonight, and every night this week. If we have not satisfied your questions by then, we will meet for additional days until you are."

Without waiting for a response, Severus whipped around and strode back to the front of the class. Harry felt unable to raise his eyes, still sensing many eyes on him and Nott. Maybe now, thought Harry, maybe after he has seen what it's like, maybe he'll let me go back to my own classes.

Severus's voice was clipped, "I fail to see what you are all waiting for. Get to work!"

Harry did not attempt to pair with anyone for the practical brewing of the day's potion. He wordlessly prepared his ingredients and followed the directions. Towards the end of class, he sat waiting for Severus to make his rounds, his potion complete. He knew it was not perfect, but it was passable. It was one they had brewed at the villa, Harry making several attempts at it until it satisfied Severus's exacting standards.

When Harry sensed the Potions Master standing over his work station, he slowly looked up. Predictably, the entire class was also watching to see how the professor would rate the upstart's work. Harry looked into the black eyes and then averted his own.

'_Go ahead and slam it if you need to. I understand.'_

'_You did well with this. You kept your focus on the work in spite of the tension you obviously are feeling. I am sorry that I cannot acknowledge that aloud in the present company.'_ Out loud he said, "Your efforts are slipshod at best, Mr. Potter. I will expect much better, if you are to continue to be in my Advanced class." A flick of his wrist vanished Harry's potion away without asking him to bottle a sample first.

Harry clenched his jaw, unable to hold back a look of despair, in spite of the warming words Severus had given him before ruthlessly destroying his work. Harry heard the sniggers coming from the Slytherin side of the room as he began to clean up his area. When Severus dismissed the class, he asked, _'Can I stay back for a minute, to really talk to you…see Jack?'_

'_That would not be a good idea. There are eyes watching.'_

Harry picked up his book bag and walked to the door. Looking back, he saw Jack sitting beside Severus. He was trembling to keep from running after Harry. It had been torturous for the little dog to remain under Severus's desk while his boy had been in the room. Harry felt a surge of pride that Jack was as controlled as he was for being still a puppy. They had spoken about how his presence would be handled, and it had been decided that it would be best for the dog to stay with Severus during the day. Dumbledore had been concerned that having a dog in class would distract the other students, even if Harry was not.

Harry was surprised when several seventh year Gryffindors fell into a loose formation around him as they made their way to their next class. When Harry looked at them in question, a dark-haired girl shrugged.

"Seeing as how Granger and Weasley are not able to be with you, we're taking up the slack. No worries."

Harry felt a surge of gratitude for his fellow housemates. He certainly felt less awkward as he entered his last class of the day. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if the other seventh years accepted him like this.

Once at the common room, the seventh years bid him good-night and went to their own part of the room. Hermione and Ron grinned, Hermione smothering him with a hug when he sat down beside them on the sofa.

"Harry! Do you realize how wrong it feels, knowing you're here at the school, attending classes, and we aren't with you?" she exclaimed.

Harry shrugged. "You know I'd rather be with you guys."

Hermione nodded, but immediately set out to learn what he had been assigned in all his classes. Harry shared his homework assignments and Hermione insisted on organizing them along with hers and Ron's, so they could work on nearly the same subjects at the same time. Harry felt so grateful for this gesture that he thought he might lose his composure.

Ron noticed and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Alright there, mate?"

"Yeah. I guess I thought you guys would be mad about me being moved up. Even Nott said it in Potions … people are wondering how much other special treatment I'll get. I just want to be _normal_, for Merlin's sake!"

Hermione squeezed his hand. "I have to admit I'm jealous. You get to learn so much more than us and get through faster with your education! But Harry, you are still our best friend. Nothing will ever change that!"

"Thanks. But you know, Hermione, I'm probably going to need you even more now that I'm in advanced classes. I hope you'll still help me with homework and stuff."

Ron snorted. "Are you kidding? She's been moaning all day about how she hoped you'd ask her so she would get to see all the assignments we'll get next year. She wants to try and have hers done early, too!"

Hermione blushed and they all laughed as they settled down to do their homework. Harry felt better than he had felt all day.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Harry had been allowed to remain in the dorm room with Ron, Neville, Dean, and Seamus. He was glad of this, having already decided that he would go back to his sanctuary rooms before moving into the seventh year dorm. He was exhausted after the tension-filled day and was asleep as his head hit the pillow.

_Oooooooo_

… _white mist twisted around his feet in tendrils, like live things, almost but not quite solid. Harry moved forward, unable to see anything but the whiteness. Suddenly, a hiss behind him had him turning rapidly and trying to draw his wand. The wand was not there and he searched his pockets and his sleeves, unable to believe he had somehow lost it. The hissing came from his left now, moving around him. The whisper of scales sliding over surface told Harry she was circling him, first closer, then drifting almost out of ear-shot._

_He felt his scar begin to burn as the hissing became words … "Did you think I had forgotten about you, boy? Did you think all your new, shiny power would make me afraid to confront you? I know what haunts you … I know what causes you terror …"_

_Harry tried to clamp down on his shields as he felt them sliding, Nagini's words like steel fingers in his mind, sifting through memories that Harry had thought were left in the Penseive. But there they were, Nagini examining each one as it drifted past Harry's horrified eyes. Then Uncle Vernon was there, almost larger than life, looming over Harry, forcing him down onto his back. Nagini's open mouth hovered right beside Vernon's leering face, coming closer …_

_Ooooooo_

"Harry! Wake up, mate!"

Harry heard Ron's voice from very far away and he struggled to go closer. If he could get to Ron, Ron could help him find whoever was screaming. They could help them … they must be in great trouble …

With a jerk, he awakened fully and realized that the screaming was coming from his own throat. Ron was trying to hold him as Harry struggled to get away from whatever he had seen in his dream. Behind him, the other boys were white-faced.

Harry tried to calm himself down, seeing the fear in Ron's eyes. "Calm yourself, Harry. It's too warm in here. Cool it down, mate …" Ron kept up a steady drone of soothing words. Harry swallowed hard against the bile that threatened to rise up.

"I need … I need S-Sev …" He bit off the name, unwilling to say the name in front of the others.

Ron called out, "Dobby!"

The elf popped up almost immediately and took in Harry's state. He was gone before Ron could say anything. Harry kept trying to regain control, but felt it slipping out of his grasp.

In a few more moments, the door was thrown open and Severus strode in. He glared at the other boys. "Out. Now."

Neville herded them out the door and closed it. Ron relinquished his place to Severus, but remained. Severus ignored him and simply took Harry by the shoulders and pulled him close. Harry gripped the man around the waist, burying his face against his chest. He let himself give in to the tears of terror now that his anchor was here. Severus rocked him as they sat there, one arm holding Harry's shoulders firmly, the other holding his head and smoothing his hair. He whispered some incantations and Harry felt himself relaxing, the dream fading into a manageable bubble of memory.

Finally, Severus pulled away enough to get a couple of vials from his pockets. He thumbed the cork out of the first one and held it to Harry's lips. After a few moments he whispered, "Better?"

Harry nodded. "Nagini spoke to me …"

"Not the Dark Lord?"

Harry shook his head. "It was his voice, but Nagini was the one it was coming from." He sat there, letting the arms hold him, the breathing under his cheek soothe him. "He knew my fears … he showed me Uncle Vernon …"

Severus tightened his grip. "I should have given you Dreamless Sleep. Does your scar hurt?" He laid his own head against Harry's as he nodded. "I had hoped that the healing would have prevented the nightmares. Obviously, he is still able to insinuate them through the scar."

Harry sighed heavily. "I was so tired when I laid down … I forgot to make sure the Occlusion shields were in place …'s my fault."

"Raise them now and take this." He raised the other vial for Harry to take. Harry drained it and Severus let him lie back down. Brushing his hand over his brow, he asked, "What about the hot magic?"

"Ron got that part calmed down before you got here." His eyes closed and his breathing leveled out as he fell asleep.

Severus stood up and looked at him for a few moments. Then he turned to Ron. "Thank you for sending for me. Do not hesitate to do so again." He turned and opened the door to leave. Pausing, he added, "Well done with calming him before I got here, Mr. Weasley."

Ron stood there with raised eyebrows. The astonished look had not left his face when his dorm mates came back in.

_**A/N:**__ Things in the storyline will move along faster from this point on. Instead of daily accounts, I will begin to move past weeks and then months as the next chapters unfold! Thank you all for your patience!_

_Thank you, __**logicalquirk**__, and everyone who is still reading and reviewing this story. I cannot tell you what it means to me. Who would have thought that internet friends and faceless voices of encouragement could do so much! You are all the force behind my drive to get this story completed!_

_I have been off for the summer, but work starts up again for me on the 20__th__, when I have to go back to my real world job as elementary teaching assistant. What with getting back into the swing of that, getting my three kids back in school the following week, and getting used to having my computer time severely curtailed, I am not sure how often I'll be able to post. I am posting this chapter before the next is ready to send to logicalquirk for beta work. So, I am barely one chapter ahead. But the ideas are in Miss Muse's brain, waiting to take shape. I love hearing how any of you think the story could go…no telling what might be the next great inspiration!_

_**SPOILER**__! If any of you have not yet read my one-shot, __**The Portait**__, I would appreciate your taking the time and leaving your feedback on it. It is my effort to have some kind of closure for canon Harry and Severus after Deathly Hallows. Thanks!_


	44. Chapter 44

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

A/N: I am advancing time here…

Chapter 44

Harry settled into attending his new classes and eventually it didn't feel as strange. Hermione helped him with homework, and if there was anything else he needed help with he simply made sure he did something to earn him detention with Severus. They had decided that while most people realized that they had been together on Harry's sabbatical, they didn't know that their relationship was a close one. They did not know what the current status was of students following Death Eater ideals or parental pressure to adhere to them. Having detention with the Potions Master was the only safe way for them to meet and not attract undue attention. Harry had to use a lot of restraint to keep from getting a lot of detention. He craved being near Severus, as he was the only one who truly understood the visions and nightmares, and how they effected his every day life.

The holidays had seen a lot of shifting alliances, and an upswing in Death Eater activity. The seventh year Gryffindors continued to surround Harry in an informal guard during the class days, leaving him with Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny at meals and at night.

The nightmares and visions had continued unabated, the potions being only marginally successful at stopping them. Ron refused to let Harry cast a silencing charm around only his bed, insisting that Harry include Ron's bed, so that the redhead would know when he needed Severus. Dobby would alert Severus and the Potions Master would floo through to Gryffindor. Their link was only used in emergencies now, Harry needing to keep all his shields up all the time. He couldn't even talk to Severus briefly without Voldemort slipping into the opening of his mind. It was as if he waited for each and every opportunity.

Harry's other dorm mates grew used to waking up and seeing Snape there, and they would simply roll over and go back to sleep. It no longer bothered them much to see the Slytherin head of house in their bedroom, much preferring that he handle Harry's night terrors than being left to deal with them on their own. Severus had sworn them to secrecy, preventing them from ever letting it slip that he had been inside Gryffindor.

On this particular night, though, the nightmare had been the worst since Harry had returned. Severus came into the room and found all the boys around the bed, Neville Scourgifying the bedclothes and floor where Harry had been sick from the visions and the pain in his scar. Ron had Harry in a tight embrace as the dark-haired one leaned over the edge of the bed, still heaving.

Severus slid Harry from Ron's arms to his own, taking Ron's place on the bed.

"This is the worst ever, Professor. I'm sorry I woke up the other guys, but I had to have some help here." Ron tried to explain the awake and alert presence of the other sixth year boys. Neville pointed his wand at Ron's pajamas and Scourgified them, too. Ron nodded his thanks, his eyes still on Harry and Severus.

Harry was trying to sit up, grasping at Severus's robes. "Need to see Dumbledore …" he gasped, before throwing himself to the edge of the bed again. Severus conjured a bucket in time, wordlessly wiping Harry's forehead with a wet cloth handed him by Ron.

Severus leaned him back against the headboard and Scourgified Harry's pajamas himself. Harry was breathing heavily, looking at Severus with glazed eyes. Severus pulled a vial out of his pocket, opened it and held it to Harry's mouth. Harry averted his head, shaking it. "No sleep … have to tell …"

"Sh-sh-sh, Harry. It's just a potion to calm your stomach. I have the others for later. Take this now and I'll get you to Albus."

Harry let him tip the contents of the vial into his mouth and they waited for it to take effect. Severus sponged his face with the wet cloth some more, seeing the scar on his forehead was swollen and red. Harry flinched when he swiped the cloth over it, even gently.

As they waited, Severus summoned Dobby. "Go tell the Headmaster to meet us in the infirmary. I'll be flooing through shortly."

Dobby patted Harry's hand before nodding and popping away. Severus turned to Ron and the others. "Go back to bed. Harry will not be in class for at least the first half of the day. If you would inform the seventh years who have been guarding him?"

Ron nodded and they all climbed back into their own four-posters as Severus wrapped Harry's blanket around him and scooped him up. He paused at the door. "Bring some of his clothes when you come to check on him."

The boys lay there silently for a few minutes, each listening to see if the others would go to sleep. Seamus finally threw his quilt aside and sat up.

"I canna sleep after that! I'm goin' for some hot chocolate." His Irish brogue was stronger at the moment, and the other boys smiled feebly, joining him as they thrust arms into robe sleeves and thundered down to the common room. A pot of hot chocolate and some cups sat on the low table in front of the fire, showing them that Dobby had known that sleep would be an impossibility.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Severus carried Harry directly to the bed that Madam Pomfrey had prepared. She waved her wand over him several times, clicking her tongue in aggravation of her findings. "He needs to go back to sleep, Severus."

"He shall do exactly that, once we have secured his dreams."

Dumbledore emerged from the floo, carrying his Penseive. Severus pulled the side table into position and the Penseive was carefully placed.

Severus looked down into Harry's widely dilated green eyes and asked, "Are you ready? Have you a firm recollection of the dream?"

Harry nodded jerkily. "Hurry! Just hurry up and get it out of me!"

Severus pulled his wand and placed the tip to Harry's temple. "Remember … remember …" An angrily twisting silver streamer stretched out as Severus carefully drew it, Harry grimacing. The streamer snapped from the wand and disappeared back into Harry's head, causing him to scream, a sweat breaking out on his face. "Easy, Harry … I'm trying again … remember …"

Severus pulled the streamer more slowly this time, not allowing it to grow thin and fragile. The streamer pulled at the wand, trying to recede back to the mind it had inhabited.

Severus and Albus had discussed the increasing presence of the vision, how it had been torturing Harry at night, depleting him little by little. The memory of the dream faded by day, and Harry was unable to recall it enough to repeat it, only knowing that it had to do with plans Voldemort was making, not only for Harry, but for the confrontation. Voldemort had planted the vision, anchoring it painfully, setting it to increase its discomfort over time, slowly sapping the boy. They had waited, watching for the time to be right to attempt to draw the memory of the dream before it could fade.

Albus added the tip of his own wand, placing it at Harry's temple, preventing the streamer from withdrawing. Finally, the writhing silver was caught between the two wands, and they moved it over to the Penseive, dropping it in. It swirled in on itself, the surface breaking in hissing spatters as it settled.

Pomfrey was on the other side of Harry, pressing a vial to his lips, insisting that he drink it. Another followed before Harry looked up at Severus. He raised his arms in request and Severus pulled him up into a hug, rubbing the boy's back gently.

"Don't go alone … he will keep you there if you go alone," he whispered urgently into Severus's robes.

"It's only a memory now. It cannot hurt anyone now."

Harry shook his head. "You saw it. It's not just a memory. Somehow, he put it there and it's dangerous. I can't remember exactly why, but it is! Please—don't go alone."

Severus could feel him struggling to stay awake, to make sure his warning was heard. He hugged the thin shoulders firmly, laying a cheek against the black hair. "It's out of you now. Sleep."

"He'll just send another …" Harry stopped in mid-sentence as the potions for Dreamless Sleep and pain took full effect.

Severus laid him back, running a hand through Harry's hair, attempting to smooth it down. After tucking the covers around him, he turned to Albus and the Penseive. The two men looked at each other for a long moment before Albus spoke softly.

"In consideration of Harry's warning, I believe we should go together into the memory."

"I do not believe that you should go at all, Albus. If it is as dangerous as Harry says, you might be handing yourself over to Voldemort."

"And you believe that you are more expendable?" The blue eyes were steely.

"I am." The black eyes were determined.

They stared at each other, each unwilling to be the first to look away. Finally, Albus sighed. "Do you expect Remus any time soon?"

Severus tilted his head at the question. "You would send the wolf in our place?"

"No. Harry said not to go alone. I would send him with you."

Severus nodded. "He should be returning for more Wolfsbane within the week."

"Then I will take this to my office, and we will wait."

Severus put a hand on the old wizard's shoulder as he reached to pick up the Penseive. "You will wait, Albus. No heroic Gryffindor stunt, like going in alone."

"I am taking Harry's warning to heart, never fear. In fact, the more I think on it, the more I am agreeing with him that this might be Tom's newest attempt at reaching us through the scar. He is aware of the link between himself and Harry. It was only a matter of time before he tried to exploit it somehow, to try and weaken Harry, or attack him, and through him, us."

Severus searched the blue eyes further before nodding, satisfied that the old man would not take it upon himself to enter the Penseive. He watched him walk through the floo before turning back to the bed. Transfiguring a hard straightback chair into a more comfortable padded armchair, he settled it beside Harry where he would be when he awakened.

OoOoOoOoOoO

The Dreamless Sleep wore off before morning, as Severus knew it would. The terrors had caused an increasing resistance to its effects, giving Harry only a small amount of relief. He knew that Harry was often unable to go back to sleep after the potion expired, unable to face the rest of the night and the good chance of nightmares. He had seen the dark circles under his eyes, the listless appetite. It was all this that made him wish he could take the boy away again and protect him. It had seemed that the distance had made the ease for Voldemort of reaching Harry more difficult. Now, he was easy prey, and they worked feverishly to prepare him for the confrontation. No one knew how much Harry would need the added education, but it stood to reason that it couldn't hurt, and the maturity Harry might gain could sway the balance when it came down to it. Severus had continued to train Harry in dueling, although not with any additional opponents. The intention was that whenever the showdown occurred, Harry would have Severus, Remus and Albus at his back, as well as any other Order members who could be ready at a moment's notice.

Severus watched the play of tensions cross Harry's face as he came to wakefulness. He jerked fully awake and looked around wildly, Severus soothing him by gently stroking his arm. Harry looked at him blankly and then at his surroundings.

"You were able to get the dream memory out?"

"Yes." He looked at Harry intently. "Are you able to tell that it's gone?"

Harry closed his eyes, concentrating. "Some of it is still there. But it's small and weak now." He looked at Severus again. "Did you see it?"

"Not yet. Do you remember warning us not to go into the memory alone?"

Harry shook his head. "No. That's gone. What did I say?"

"You said that it was dangerous and that he would keep me there if I went alone. Did you mean that Voldemort would keep whoever came into the dream?"

Harry rubbed a tired hand across his still inflamed scar. "I don't know … I don't remember. But if I said that, I must have seen something to make me afraid for you."

He looked at Severus again and then at the window, where it was beginning to be light. "I'm so tired of this. I want it to be over. I miss being with you and being able to say what I want, ask for a hug, see you smile."

Severus noticed Harry rubbing the length of braided hair that he had fashioned into a bracelet. For a moment, he felt a stab of jealousy that the wolf had devised a way of being near to Harry, even if in this lowest form. Determined to draw Harry from his state of dark-mindedness, he smirked. "I never smile."

Harry smirked back. "You did. I saw you. You smiled several times and I liked it."

"My smiles, if indeed they were smiles, were only because I was with you." He motioned with his hands, inviting Harry into a hug.

Harry pushed himself up and leaned on Severus, allowing the man to pull him close. As Harry sighed in contentment, Severus said softly, "I have missed this as well." He relished the feel of holding Harry safe, knowing that it was illusion at best, but also knowing it helped both of them remain connected.

He sat back from Harry as the wards on the infirmary tingled. "Someone is coming."

Harry knew that if it was anyone but a select few, the relationship between the two of them must still be hidden.

The doors of the infirmary opened, and Ron walked in with Hermione in tow. Both of Harry's friends wore worried expressions. Severus gave Harry's hand one last squeeze and stood up.

"I believe that you should stay here and rest today, but I will leave that to Madam Pomfrey to decide. Please abide by her wishes." He arched an eyebrow at Harry.

"Yes, sir," Harry sighed. His eyes followed the Potions Master until he had left the room and then he looked at his friends.

Hermione sat down on the end of the bed and laid Harry's book bag on it. "I brought all your books. I just knew they wouldn't let you out this morning and I thought you might want to stay caught up." Her face grew clouded and she reached out to cover Harry's hand with her own. "How are you, anyway?"

Harry shrugged as Ron put down the bundle of clothes and school robes he was carrying and joined Hermione on the foot of the bed.

"Okay, I guess. Severus and Professor Dumbledore took the memory of the dream and put it in the Penseive. My head feels better right now without that in there. Even though I could never remember the dream, I still had all the feelings associated with it. Now, I know that there is something there, but it's not hovering over me, choking me." He looked at them in question, asking with his eyes if that made any sense at all to them.

The two friends nodded and Harry slumped back on his pillow. Madam Pomfrey bustled in just then and waved her wand over Harry. "You still need a great deal of rest. I know you don't like it, but it would be best if you stayed here for the day."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "I know that you won't believe it, but I'd rather stay here than go to class. I'll actually get a lot more done on my own."

Pomfrey raised her eyebrows and nodded. "Alright, then. I'll just arrange for a breakfast tray and floo Professor McGonagall." She hurried away again, leaving them alone.

Ron asked, "So what's the plan?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm not sure. Apparently, I warned Severus not to go into the memory alone." At Hermione's look he added quickly, "I don't know why. I don't think they've looked at it yet. Maybe Severus will tell me more later."

They settled down to talk about assignments once Madam Pomfrey had brought Harry's tray. Hermione said that she would get all of Harry's class assignments from his seventh year guards and bring them later.

As they were walking out, Severus walked back in. When they were gone, he reached into his robes and withdrew Jack from the folds. Harry grinned at the small dog's joyous greetings and yips of happiness. Madam Pomfrey came in, frowning, but seeing the smile on Harry's face had her reluctantly agreeing to the dogs' presence. The corner of Severus's mouth quirked as he watched for a moment.

With a lift of his eyebrow, he intoned, "I expect that you will follow Madam's instructions. Your friends are taking care of getting your work?"

Harry nodded and then looked up from where he sat petting Jack. "When will you go into the Penseive?"

"We plan to wait until Lupin is here. He will accompany me into your dream. If the Dark Lord truly still has a connection with it, it is too dangerous for Albus."

Harry closed his eyes. "I can just see the edges of it … if I concentrate … I wish you didn't have to go into it at all. I feel that something very bad is there."

Severus sat down on the edge of the bed. "If I thought that it was just a dream, I would not. If I was still part of the Inner Circle, I would not. But we need to know if he is making plans for an even larger attack." He touched the place where his Dark Mark lay under his sleeve. "Has your scar been hurting, more than just at night when you dream?"

Harry nodded reluctantly. "Just lately. I really am trying to keep him out. My shields are as strong as I can make them." He looked at Severus defensively, as if he expected to be berated for lack of trying.

Severus said softly, "My Mark burns as well. I know how difficult it is to keep him out, Harry. I _know_."

And Harry really did understand that Severus knew. It was a sudden relief to know that the man sitting beside him did understand about the intrusive nature of the pain, how it violated you every time it pulsed. He reached out and gave Severus's arm a squeeze. Jack lay there, tongue lolling, looking back and forth between them. Severus gave him a pat before standing.

"I have a class in a moment, so I'll have to floo down. I just wanted you to have some company today."

"Thanks." Harry watched the flames of the fireplace die back after Severus vanished into them. With a deep sigh, he laid back down, pulling the covers up to his shoulders with a sudden shiver. Jack nosed his way underneath the covers until he laid full length down Harry's side. The warmth of the small dog was welcome and comforting, and Harry drifted back to sleep.

ooooo

… white mist … Harry choked on the thickness of it … how could this happen again? Severus had removed the memory …

"Stupid BOY! Do you really believe that I cannot simply replace the fears removed with even more and worse?"

The visions of Harry's ordeal at the hands of Vernon Dursley raced past him, followed by visions of the horrors of the summer past, and torments that had been inflicted all during the years spent in the house on Privet Drive.

In his sleep, Harry jerked, his body remembering that he had forgotten to take Dreamless Sleep; that he had let the fact that it was daytime make him forget to do his Occlusion exercises before sleeping …

He kept telling himself that the visions were only that, and not real in any sense of the word. He tried to decrease the power of the visions by repeating to himself that it was so: 'Not real, not real, not real, notrealnotrealnotrealnotreal!'

An explosion of pain ripped the words out of his head as Voldemort's red eyes soared to the front of the vision. Harry screamed with the agony, falling to his knees in the white fog, holding his head in clawed fingers.

Nagini seemed to writhe in the air around him, winding closer and closer until she had him wrapped in her coils, the coils tightening. Her hissing in his ear was the voice of the Dark Lord, "I will destroy everything you hold dear. Make no missstake, BOY! One thing at a time, I will utterly wipe them out, ssstarting with your Mudblood friend!" The hissing slowed, almost as if Voldemort was considering his next words. Harry's blood chilled with the next sibilant words. "Does the Mudblood know who killed her mother, boy? Doess she know that the traitor was the one to take her mother by the throat and sssnap her neck in his own handsss? Ah-h-h-h … I sssee that she does not."

Harry furiously tried to shove his thoughts further down behind his shields, but it seemed that however Voldemort had got into his mind, he was in there solidly. Harry's chilled blood began to heat as the snake continued to sift through memories and thoughts and dreams, discarding the irrelevant, grasping the very ones that Harry would have always kept secret and holding them up in triumph.

"Ssso, Harry Potter … my traitor has been training you … what a miserable failure … I think he will be the next to die after the Mudblood … and then … ah yesss … the entire blood traitor family …"

Harry felt a rage surge up in him, growing stronger and hotter with each victim Voldemort listed. He shrieked at the snake, a huge effort, as the coils were now so tight around him that he could hardly draw air into his burning lungs. "NO! You won't have them! I'll see you in hell before you'll get to them!"

The hissing laughter rang in his ears, the red eyes right in his face as the surrounding visions faded into the suffocating white …

oooooo

"HARRY!"

The voice sounded right by his ear, but it wasn't Nagini, it wasn't Voldemort. He struggled to open eyes that he had closed in concentration. His body was being shaken and he felt welcome air slide into his lungs then. His eyes finally focused on the face in front of him. Severus was yelling at him. What had he done now? He frowned and tried to focus on the words.

"… STOP, Harry! It's too hot … pull it back ..." Now Harry could feel the heat that surrounded him. Oh, Merlin, the rage had ignited an inferno around the bed. Behind Severus, all he could see were flames. He had only meant to see Voldemort in hell, not everyone else!

Clenching his eyes closed, he searched for the end of the feeling of rage, grasped it with his mind and pulled back hard. As it whipped toward him, he felt the cool air in his lungs replaced with the super-heated blast from the fire. It rolled over him and through him, burning his face and the hands he had stretched out in front of him. But it was alright, because he couldn't let Severus be burned up. He had to get the flames back inside. Voldemort was the one he wanted to destroy, not Severus …

The air was blessedly cool again when he took another breath, and for a moment he thought that the fire might have been a part of the nightmare. But when he opened his eyes again, he knew it was not. Severus was still holding him by the shoulders, his face at once one of deep concern and also of pain. The smell of something burning was heavy and Harry looked around dazedly. Madam Pomfrey was aiming her wand at small fires around the bed while several house elves, led by Dobby, were putting out fires that were scattered throughout the room.

Dumbledore came rushing into the room, only to halt in midstride as he saw the state of the infirmary. Harry barely registered the look of shock on the headmaster's face before it became one of concern as he hurried forward to Harry and Severus.

Severus was gently turning Harry's hands over, peering at them. Harry saw that they were blistered red and he wondered why it didn't hurt. He looked up at Severus and opened his mouth to tell him so, and stopped. Severus's face was blistered and the hair that Harry could see was singed and still smoking faintly. The only sound that came out of his mouth was a croaking whisper and it was excruciating.

Severus saw the distress in his eyes and said calmly, "Don't talk. Madam will need to assess you for inhalation burns. At the very least, the inside of your mouth is likely blistered."

The Mediwitch was waving her wand over both of them now, the remaining fires being controlled by the elves.

"Harry has second degree burns on his face and hands, his airways are burned and beginning to swell. We'll need to get some potions into him before his breathing is effected. Severus, your back is burned. Your head is scorched, but thank Merlin for that protective coating you put in your hair, or you would likely be much worse off."

She hurried away to get the potions she needed for Harry. Severus saw the dawning horror in Harry's eyes as he looked at the damage all around. He had kept hold of Harry's shoulders, and now he pulled him gently towards him, being careful of his face and hands.

Harry leaned against him and whispered hoarsely, "I'm sorry … Voldemort … bad dream."

"Sh-sh-sh. Don't talk. It's over now."

Harry struggled to sit back and look at him with wide eyes. "… Not over … just beginning …"

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

After the Calming Draught and a potion for healing the internal burns, the pain of the external burns began to make themselves felt. Severus helped the Mediwitch spread a salve on Harry's face and hands and wrap the hands loosely in gauze.

Harry suddenly sat up, looking wildly around and mouthing, "Jack! Jack!" His voice was gone and Severus had to hold him on the bed to keep him from leaping up to look for the dog.

They had moved him to an undamaged part of the infirmary and changed his pajamas to ones without scorch marks. He had cooperated with everything they were doing until he remembered Jack had been beside him as he slept. Dumbledore disappeared into Pomfrey's office and emerged holding the dog in his arms.

Jack gave a bark at Harry and Pomfrey said, "He came and alerted me to your nightmare, Mr. Potter. This little dog refused to leave my office until I followed him back out to the ward and saw you in trouble." She smiled at Jack and the dog looked like he was smiling back, with his tongue hanging out.

Harry relaxed again, looking up at Severus. The link between them was closed, Harry not daring to open it. Severus understood that the dream had terrified him so much that he was doing whatever he could to prevent Voldemort another opening into his mind.

He questioned, "Was the dream the same as the other one?" Harry lifted his shoulders, indicating that he did not remember the other dream. Chagrined, Severus asked, "Can you remember this one?" Harry nodded. "Is he planning an attack?" Harry nodded and pointed to Severus and then looked like he was pantomiming others. Severus frowned in thought and then said, "He plans to attack me, and the other people who are close to you, Granger and Weasley?" Harry nodded in relief that that Severus had figured it out so quickly.

Severus took the vial that Madam Pomfrey handed him. Looking carefully at Harry, he said quietly, "Harry, this is a very strong dose of Dreamless Sleep. Before you take it, I want you to make sure that you have Occluded as much as possible." He paused, not wanting to cause Harry further anguish, but seeing no alternative. "This last dream was obviously overwhelming for you, in spite of all the work we have done. I know that you were thinking of the Dark Lord when the fire erupted, that you were wishing him to be the one burning. For all the control you have learned, he is still able to elicit a highly volatile reaction in you." He gently ran a hand over Harry's head, a thumb brushing the scar on his forehead. "For now, at least until you heal, until Albus and I have a chance to formulate a plan, it will be best if you simply sleep. This dose should prevent any dreams from coming through. You'll sleep soundly."

Harry searched the black eyes, seeming to look for truth and reassurance. Severus made sure that only assurance was there. Harry nodded and took the vial Severus held to him. After drinking it, he laid back and Severus tucked the blanket around his shoulders. He watched as Harry's eyes began to glaze over and then he leaned down, his mouth next to Harry's ear.

"We will win the war, Harry. We will. I do love you."

Just as the words were fading into sleep, Harry remembered Voldemort's threat to reveal who had killed Ellen Granger. He struggled for a few seconds, feeling Severus's strong hands on his shoulders. Then he was adrift in nothingness.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

_**A/N**__: Time is moving along, now, so I want it to be clear that Harry has not suddenly learned it all, and that the increasing nightmares and visions have been going on since his return from the sabbatical. _

_For the squeamish, be warned that there will be some violent scenes (at least violent by my standards!) coming up! I'll try to remember to give advance warning at the beginning of the exact chapters!_

_Thank you to all my __**gracious reviewers**__- ice tea and sugar cookies to you all from Miss Muse!_

_Special and grateful thanks to __**logicalquirk**__ for her continued excellent beta reading!_


	45. Chapter 45

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

**Chapter 45**

_A/N: Scenes between indicate that they are occurring within the Penseive._

The first thing Harry thought was that he would have to be sure that Severus knew Dreamless Sleep wasn't so dreamless anymore. At least it wasn't for Harry. It hadn't been as effective for a while now. Severus and Professor Dumbledore were outside, trying to find a way where no one would get hurt. He knew they wanted to protect him. But now Harry knew the truth, didn't he? There was no way out without _him_ getting hurt. He supposed he should be used to it by now; he had been hurt all his life in one way or another. He should be grateful for the reprieve he had when Severus decided to take care of him, when the link had given him someone to share the burden with for awhile.

But that time was over now. He could not share it anymore, without letting go of what little control he had. If he opened the link, Severus would be sucked into the maelstrom and destroyed right along with Harry and Voldemort. Harry intended for that bastard to die, even though he had to die with him to do it. But he could not allow anyone else to die.

The way was becoming clearer now. Nagini must be a key. He really shouldn't be afraid of her. He was a Parselmouth, just like Voldemort. He could talk to her, just like he did. Who was to say that he could not order her to do his bidding, just as Voldemort bid her to do his.

It was a matter of courage. He was a Gryffindor. Gryffindors had unlimited courage, didn't they? This time, he would not use it foolishly, as Severus often accused Gryffindors of doing. This time, he would also combine it with his Slytherin cunning. He could have been a Slytherin in another life … with another chance. He could have been better friends with Draco … but then he would not have been friends with Ron and Hermione.

Grim determination welled up in him. All of them were his friends, people he cared about. None of them would pay this price for being his friend. He would pay it himself; he was ready to pay it himself. Lord Voldemort was just a bastard bully. He had laid low for a while, thinking that he was sneaking up on Harry. But Harry had known, had never really relaxed his vigilance.

Once back in Britain, the cursed scar had begun throbbing again. He had not told anyone the truth of it, not even Severus. The time of rest had served to recharge him, teach him what he needed to know. As much as he had hated it, the advancement to seventh year had been valuable. It had strengthened his resolve to not let his closest friends be buried to the hilt in trouble beside him. He had spent too much time in juvenile broodiness and it was past time to finally, really grow up.

The fire had ignited a strength inside him, a force that had been incubating and was now ready for birth. He would wake up from this and put his own plans into action. He would take the first step, instead of waiting for Voldemort to make his move.

He knew from being able to think at all under the Dreamless Sleep that he was strong enough. He wasn't just thinking, either. He was calculating, organizing his knowledge, practicing the spells he had learned, putting his muscles through mental motions with his wand and his hands. He was summoning up everything he knew, everything he had ever been taught, to be at his disposal …

Harry's eyes blinked open. He knew immediately where he was. There was no transition from sleep to wakefulness. He was just wide awake in an instant. The infirmary was quiet and dark. Without moving his head, he cut his eyes to the window on the far wall. It was night; the infirmary wasn't spelled for restful dimness. Listening hard, he could hear breathing in the room across the way … Madame Pomfrey was sleeping with her door open so that she could hear him if he needed her.

He could smell the residue of the fire all around him. They had done as good a clean-up as possible, but the odor lingered still.

He tentatively moved his hands. The skin felt stiff under the gauze, but not very painful at the moment. Swallowing was more difficult, his mouth felt dry and raw inside, his throat narrow.

He remembered the last dream, and knew it was in fact a vision. Voldemort was coming soon. He was coming after the ones Harry loved, if he couldn't get to Harry himself. The feelings and thoughts that Voldemort had imparted began to replay.

Voldemort knew that Hermione didn't know about Severus killing Ellen Granger … he was gleefully anticipating making that known to everyone. Harry felt dread clutch at him, making it hard to breathe. He knew that he would have to either force Severus to tell her, or tell her himself. She would be devastated, but Hermione was smart. She would eventually be able to see how Severus had done what he could. Harry would just have to make sure she did, because he couldn't stand the thought that his friends would be at such odds with each other …

Voldemort knew that someone had killed Lucius … Harry thought that he wasn't absolutely sure that it was Severus, but he had strong suspicions. He already had Severus Snape second on his personal list of People To Kill Today; next in line to Harry Potter. Severus had betrayed him, spied on him, actually helped Albus Dumbledore, actually took on the guardianship and mentoring of the Dark Lord's most hated enemy. Yes, he definitely wanted Severus's head on a platter. If he could get one of the 'good guys' to do the honor of executing him for the murder of Hermione's mother, he would be just as happy as if he had leveled the killing curse himself.

The Weasleys … the Dark Lord hated them for so many things; it was hard to pin down a specific one. The Weasleys were a loving family—something the child Tom Riddle never had. The Weasleys were poor, and happily so—not seeming to need the material things of existence that seemed so important to Voldemort. He did not understand this. Things mattered to him. Money mattered to him. Those were the things that made one powerful!

The Weasleys were purebloods, and they gleefully rubbed elbows with anyone who was not, regardless of their 'station' in life. They consorted with Mudbloods, and creatures like werewolves, treating them as equals. This element of what Voldemort saw as being blood traitor was most distasteful. The Weasleys had taken Harry Potter in as almost like another son, sheltering him, supporting him, making him part of a real family … and Tom was jealous!

There was something else that gnawed at the edges of his thoughts … the dream that he had let Severus and Dumbledore remove … something there that was important. A faint feeling of unease blinked a warning in his mind. Severus would be going into it soon to see if it held any answers. Why did the thought of the man going into a dream cause a spark of panic? It was just a dream, and it would be in the Penseive. It was just a tool, like a projector. The viewer would not be effected by the contents …

Harry slowly raised himself to sitting, listening hard for Madame Pomfrey. He still heard her soft sounds of snuffling sleep. Standing, he crossed to the area where he had been earlier. Scorch marks marred the walls and floor. All the furnishings had been removed. The paintings drew his attention, the occupants whispering together as they watched him. Briefly, he wondered if they had been injured in the fire … if they could feel pain and loss if their scenes were destroyed or damaged.

He stood there swaying as he thought about what to do next. They would look for him if he went to his sanctuary rooms. They would try to stop him. They would say he wasn't ready.

Was he ready? Could he summon the strength to do what needed to be done to destroy Voldemort? He felt his legs begin to shake as he stood there. Even though the Dreamless Sleep had worn off quickly, he was still weak from the magical depletion of the nightmare and the fire. He would have to find some way to keep the nightmares from weakening him, and for Voldemort to believe that he was still being adversely affected. Steeling his resolve, he clenched his teeth as he turned back to the bed.

His arms and legs shook with the effort he had expended as he pulled the blanket close around himself. He closed his eyes just as he heard the infirmary door open. He knew the footsteps to be Severus's. A chair was quietly drawn up beside the bed and Harry felt the gentle touch of a calloused hand on his forehead.

Severus let out an involuntary gasp when Harry opened his eyes. "It should not be possible for you to be awake." He muttered a _lumos,_ to better see Harry by. The expression in those green eyes chilled him. They were old and resigned. Within their depths Severus could see that Harry had made a choice, and he hoped that it was a choice that he could help with, and not one that he would fight to keep Harry from.

"Tell me what you are thinking about," he requested quietly. "Let me do what I am destined to do. I will be at your side, no matter what." He was surprised as the words left his mouth and he realized that some part of him had already seen that everything had just changed. Time was no longer on their side, and there were still many obstacles in Harry's way.

"I feel like I need to leave here. Every time I sleep now, Voldemort has a path to get right inside these walls. The fire was only the beginning." Harry swallowed, grimacing, and Severus handed him a glass of water from the bedside table, holding it to his lips as Harry raised his head. His voice was clearer as he continued. "The Potions aren't working anymore, to keep the darkness away. I can't keep him totally blocked unless I'm awake. But I remember now; I remember what he wants, what he is planning."

His eyes were huge in his head as he gazed up at Severus. Severus did not interrupt, knowing that there was not an argument he could make against anything Harry had said so far. He settled for placing a hand on Harry's arm, letting him know with that gesture that he was still here and would remain at his side.

Harry took a deep breath and continued, "He is going to try and divide you up, to cause you all to be focused on anger and hate with each other, and a weakness for me."

Severus shook his head. "What could he do that would cause your friends to behave so, Imperius all of them? I believe we would realize that and we can guard against it."

Harry shook his head. "He knows that Hermione doesn't know you killed her mum. Somehow, he is going to make that known to everyone."

Severus sucked in a hissing breath at that. Harry watched him process it. "You see, don't you? How that one bit of information could turn everyone against you, but most especially, all the people who were already sure that you have always been a Death Eater. They will hate you and the Ministry will pursue you. You are my best defense and you will be ripped away."

Relentlessly, he went on. "Hermione will fall and with her the Weasleys. They will be consumed with comforting and protecting her and seeing justice done with you. He will destroy you all with it, because you won't be looking for him. You will be focused on that damning bit of news and he will be free to attack. Without all of you, I may not be strong enough to destroy him. I know I can't."

Severus squeezed Harry's arm before he stood up to slowly pace the floor. He struggled to subdue the shaking Harry's words caused. He had pushed the knowledge of that hideous night far below his consciousness. It had been enough to know that Harry had forgiven him, had understood why it had been the way it was.

For the public, the attacks on wizard families, and Muggles alike, had been done by faceless, nameless Death Eaters. If they had a name to pin on a perpetrator, and that perpetrator was caught, he would be hung, drawn, quartered, and have his soul sucked out before any trial was attempted. The fever pitch of the public's alarm was such that they would seize the opportunity with a desperate hope that it would forestall more deaths and more attacks

He looked back at Harry and Harry nodded. "You see what you have to do, don't you? If you tell her right away, and the two of you make peace with it, it will no longer be a weapon Voldemort can use. If Hermione understands, the two of you can stop any backlash from the public. It won't be easy, but at least you won't be chucked into Azkaban."

Severus gave a harsh laugh. "I would never see the inside of Azkaban, Harry. I would never see a trial, and no one would ever see the Penseive accounts of what happened."

"Then we have to tell her now. I need all of you. You can't be divided over this."

His eyes were intent as he held Severus's stare. "I feel that he is aiming to divide my strengths; my friends, the people I consider family, like you and the Weasleys, Remus … he is going to try and make it so that everyone's focus is on something other than him or me. He knows that if I don't have you all in my corner, he'll win. I know that I need you … please …"

Severus stood there for a long time, just staring at Harry. This could go wrong in so many ways. But if the Dark Lord made it known that he had killed Ellen Granger, the fall-out would be worse than if it was made known by his own choice. If Harry had seen this, then the Dark Lord was probably planning his big announcement even now. They had little time to spare.

He sat back down beside Harry and pulled him close. He whispered, "I have pledged to do whatever it takes to protect you. If it means making it known that I killed Ellen … I only hope –"

"Hermione will be upset, I know that. But if she sees what you showed me in the Penseive, how you warned her dad, how you felt about it all, and how much worse it would have been for her mum if you hadn't –" he looked up pleadingly at Severus. "I would never ask you to reveal what happened if I didn't just wholly believe that Voldemort will use it in whatever twisted way he can."

Severus hugged him so hard that Harry could hardly breathe. "I know." After several more minutes of thinking, he said, "I'll go speak to Albus. He will need to call Lupin. It is clear that we must make that other trip into the Penseive as soon as possible. He can also alert Minerva to have Granger and Weasley up here tonight. I assume you want to speak to her first, and that you wish for Mr. Weasley to be present as well?"

Harry wished that Severus didn't sound so defeated by those last words. He pulled back and looked up at him again, gripping his arms as firmly as he could with his bandaged hands. "They know that you mean everything to me. They all do. It will be okay."

Severus nodded and then asked, "If I give you an even stronger dose of Dreamless Sleep, would you be able to rest some more, gather your strength?"

Harry shook his head. "That last dose didn't do much. I was still aware, and thinking, even though I was asleep for a while. Right now, I don't want to sleep. I want to get all of the memories taken care of."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Severus went to Dumbledore's office and the Headmaster had the Penseive out on his desk, contemplating it over his half-moon glasses.

Severus sat down and tiredly ran a hand over his eyes. "I've been talking to Harry."

Dumbledore looked at him sharply. "I thought you gave him an extra powerful dose—"

"Yes. It no longer works for him at all. He sleeps for a short while, but his mind is not at rest. He says that the Dark Lord knows that Miss Granger is unaware of who killed her mother. He plans to make a grand announcement."

Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "I had hoped to spare her that knowledge."

"I knew that one day it would have to be told. I just did not expect it to be forced." He gazed at the headmaster for a moment. "We both feel that time is running short. If we are to use whatever bit of knowledge from his dream, we need to view it soon."

"I thought as much, although I am concerned … there's something not quite right about the memory we removed. Did you notice how strongly it resisted us? As if it had a will of its own?" He closed his eyes, concentrating on forming his thoughts about it. Then looking back at Severus, he added, " I have already called Remus Lupin. He will arrive shortly. I suggest that the both of you take the plunge, whilst I enlist Minerva to summon Miss Granger."

"Harry wants the Weasley boy to be there." At Dumbledore's look, he added, "They are all so close, I believe it to be a sound idea."

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully at that.

The floo flared green and Remus Lupin stepped out. Severus thought that the man looked wilder than ever, as if being among the clans was somehow taking all the humanity from him bit by bit. The gold eyes scanned the room before he sat down next to Severus.

"What has happened?"

The two professors explained about Harry's increased sensitivity to Voldemort's presence and Harry's vision from the latest dream. The werewolf's eyes glowed yellow when Severus admitted to the killing of Ellen Granger, and explained how Voldemort was planning to use that to drive Harry's closest companions and protectors apart from each other, leaving Harry caught between the factions.

Remus glared coldly at Severus for a long moment. "I may have to see those memories myself, Snape." The use of Severus's last name told the other two men how well Voldemort's plan would succeed if not stopped.

Dumbledore held out a calming hand to them both. "Gentlemen, let us remember that we are fighting against this very thing, this division that Voldemort so dearly wants."

Remus visibly backed down, his eyes returning to gold even though his jaw line was still tense. Severus sat back from where he had leaned forward in challenge, his fists still clenched in his lap.

Albus interrupted their staring contest. "If you two are ready, I suggest that you go into the dream memory Severus and I retrieved from Harry the other night. He did warn you to be on your guard, so I will caution you to be watchful for yourselves and for each other." He looked at them sternly and then turned his attention to Remus.

"Remus, do not take any preconceived notions of Severus's guilt with you right now. You will understand all of that later. Now, I need you to focus all your senses on whatever the memory can tell us."

Remus breathed deeply, understanding the admonition to go into the Penseive as allies and not as enemies. He gave a terse nod and stood up together with Severus.

They walked to the Penseive and after a mental countdown, they both leaned forward and into the bowl that housed an angry silvery maelstrom.

The two men stood in the white mists of Harry's dreamstate. Severus immediately noted the differences between this dreamstate and the others he had shared with Harry. The others had not been as cold as this one. Those mists had been white, but light. These mists were heavy and damp, feeling like living things as wisps' of it brushed their faces. Sound was curiously muffled but magnified at the same time, reminding him of the rare ear infections he had as a child; noises seeming to be loud even as they were whispered.

Remus looked around, his unease apparent. He knew that Severus had shared dreams with Harry, he had heard of them and even seen some of them in the Penseive when he had first arrived back in the castle. He glanced at Severus and saw that he was tense, eyes narrowed as he tried to peer into the mist around them.

Together they began walking, keeping their footsteps as silent as possible so that they would not miss what they had come to observe. The tension increased with every step and Severus had wordlessly drawn his wand, as if preparing to meet something he could actually fight here. Remus raised his eyebrows at that but Severus just shook his head, tilting his head to the side as he listened.

Remus drew his own wand when a sudden hissing sound seemed to surround them. They stood back to back in the whiteness. They could not see anything, but the mists rotated around them as if moved by the passing of whatever had made the sound. Another pass of sound in the opposite direction caused the mist around their upper bodies to move counter to the mist below. The effect was disorienting, causing the sensation of being unbalanced as they stood there.

Again and again the hissing sound and a passage of unseen movement as they waited for whatever was coming. Darker shadows seemed to fly through the mist, but were gone before the eyes could get a fix on them. Remus felt Severus move to maintain a physical contact with him, his shoulder coming in to join with his. The dizzying effect seemed to lessen then, as if there was a better balance with them acting together.

Out of the thickening tendrils of mist, a voice began to whisper. They recognized it as Parseltongue and Severus had the thought that this had been all for naught, if they would not be able to understand what Harry's dream had meant. The hissing language washed around them, surrounding them with the hypnotic sibilant language. He had to give himself a mental shake to get rid of a suspicious feeling of wanting to give in, to melt into whatever shape the voice was telling them to take. Behind him, he felt Remus do the same and knew he had not been alone in almost succumbing to it.

Red, slit-pupiled eyes appeared out of the fog. The face around them wavered between a fanged caricature of Nagini, and that of the Dark Lord himself.

"I ssee that the boy ssent his protectors in his place … as if that will make any difference …"

Severus felt a jolt of apprehension that this did not appear to be Harry's dream, but something that had changed to speak to them as if it was theirs. He gripped his wand tighter, realizing what Harry had warned him about … going into the dream alone might have been more dangerous than going in with someone else. At his back, Remus was tensing and Severus knew he had figured it out as well.

"Did you think that all these months of ssilence had been a reprieve, my traitorouss friend? Did you hope that I had forgotten you or that sstupid boy?"

Mad laughter rang around them, following the circled way that the other sounds had done.

Remus started to answer, "He's not—" before Severus nudged him sharply.

The laughter faded and more hissing raced around them, seemingly in a frenzy, before Voldemort spoke again. "Your feeble powers of Occlumency could not keep me out of his mind, Sseverus … as you can ssee. I have gained control over the Dream Demons … now. I have the power to implant myself, my consciousness in his very dreams … and even though you removed this one from his mind … I can simply place another when he ssleepss …"

The figure came closer to them, drifting around them as if examining them. "We are in Dumbledore's Penseive … how charming … perhaps you dared to think that you would find out some great ssecret, something to use against me?"

The fangs loomed enormous as the face shifted back into that of Nagini. As the snake hissed, golden droplets of venom dripped onto the ground, creating their own high-pitched sizzle to add to the droning hiss that never ceased.

"I have the power and the ssecret is mine … the blunder is yours, you foolss …"

Before Severus or Remus could react, one of the dark shadows shot out of the mist, opposite from the figure that had been holding their attention. It coalesced into the form of a gigantic viper and wrapped itself around Severus. His wand dropped from numb fingers as the coils covered him from knee to shoulder. Remus had spun around and began to shout a stunning hex, followed by _Petrificus __Totalus_, both of which rebounded and shot away in another direction.

Remus watched in horror as Severus began to turn blue, the coils tightening with each exhaled breath, preventing him from drawing another. He cast another volley of spells and even attempted _Sectumsempra_ but the snake only hissed at him, not appearing as if any of them were felt at all.

Remus met Severus's eyes and saw the pleading in the black pools. With his last air, Severus gasped, "Harry—"

The viper gave a lurch and Severus fell forward, still wrapped in its tightening grip. With an impossible speed, the snake had dragged Severus out of sight and into the dense fog.

Remus ran after it, trying to hear the direction with keen werewolf ears. When he stopped, there was nothing, not even the hiss that had been present since they entered the dream. It was as if the snake and Severus had never even been there. His breath hitched as he realized that Severus had been taken, possibly killed, by a dream in which they were meant only to be able to observe. A cross between a despondent moan and an angry wolf growl climbed up his throat as he forced himself to leave the Penseive, and leave Severus behind.

_A/N: Yes, the end approaches at last! Only a few more chapters to go._

_Thanks, everyone for your wonderful reviews and all the notices I get that you have put my story into your favorites, or added it to your alerts! I really appreciate you sticking with me. _

_The real world is encroaching on me this week, as I go back to work as an Elementary Teaching Assistant. They have mac computers at school, and no one is allowed to use a personal flash drive, so I can't even write on my lunch break! I'll have to do it by hand in a spiral, but I will get this fic completed!_

_Thank you __**logicalquirk**__, who always has such encouragement for my efforts, and beta's my work so patiently…love ya! Thank you, __**Kiminspirit**__! You are my cyberspace rock! I could not have managed the group and writing without you!_

_Anyone still wanting to join the group can do so through the homepage link in my profile._


	46. Chapter 46

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 46

Hermione and Ron followed Professor McGonagall as she walked rapidly through the corridors to the hospital wing. She had shaken them both awake and waited impatiently as they hurriedly dressed.

"What's happened, Professor?" Hermione asked breathlessly, as she tried to keep up with the brisk pace.

"I have not been told. Professor Dumbledore only asked me to get the both of you to the infirmary as quickly as possible."

Ron and Hermione shared a quick glance at each other. They knew that Harry was still in the hospital, and that he had not been in class. Professor Snape had not been in the best of form in Potions and they had taken that to mean that things were not going well.

But they had never been summoned to the hospital before and the fact that they had been was frightening.

When they walked in, they did not expect to find Harry alert and sitting up in his bed. He gave them a weak smile that didn't stay in place long. Madame Pomfrey was waving a wand over him and she bent to whisper in his ear before patting his shoulder and walking back to her office, McGonagall following.

Ron sat down beside him and Hermione went to the other side to sit next to him there. She took note of the bandaged hands and arms.

"Harry? What happened?"

He took a deep breath and then turned to face her. "It was the hot magic. Voldemort was in my dreams and I tried to torch him, I guess." His voice was noticeably hoarse. "Didn't you smell it when you came in?"

Hermione looked at Ron and they looked around the ward. The light was not bright, but they could see scorched areas, and now that Harry mentioned it there was the smell of burnt something over the usual potion smells of the hospital.

Harry continued, "I burned my hands when I pulled it back in. My mouth and throat were burnt too. Severus was burned … how was he in class?"

"More irritable than usual, I would say. That explains it," Hermione answered wryly.

Ron asked quietly, "That's not why we're here, is it? Something else is going on … something to do with your dreams?"

Harry nodded. He looked at Ron intently. "Do you remember, when we talked about that dream I had at the end of last summer?"

Ron frowned and then paled. Of course he remembered. Harry had told him that he had dreamed about the Grangers being attacked, and then it had happened. It had turned out to be a dream of premonition. "Are you having more dreams like that?"

Harry thought for a minute. Were the dreams and visions foretelling the future again? "Yes," he answered.

His friends stared at him and Hermione reached out a hand, laying it on Harry's.

Harry said softly, "Some of the dreams were about Uncle Vernon … and those happened, after a fashion … some were about Malfoy, and those also were close to form."

Hermione shook her head, "Then what is it now? Maybe these dreams are just dreams. You've been under a lot of stress with classes and such."

Harry looked at her for a long time and wondered if he could just do this so callously. He wondered if their friendship would survive what he had to say, because he was as much at fault as Severus, having kept the secret for so long.

Finally, he pushed back the gauze bandages on his fingers so that he could take each of their hands in his.

"Hermione, I have to tell you something and it's not easy." He gave a rueful laugh at how much of an understatement that was. "Not easy at all … but it will be even harder for you to hear." He glanced at Ron. "And also for Ron to hear. I am really afraid of how it will affect our friendship, but we can't let it … that's what Voldemort wants."

Hermione looked at him in confusion. "There's nothing that could hurt our friendship, Harry. The three of us are solid. Voldemort is more insane than we thought if he thinks he can do anything to come between us."

Harry smiled gently at her. He closed his eyes as a sharp pain rose in his head. For a brief moment, he saw in his mind that Severus and Remus had entered the Penseive. He wasn't sure what they would find there, but suddenly it seemed as if time was even shorter somehow. Even at the little sensation he had through the flicker of the link, he sensed danger, urgency, and maybe even a little fear. Were the feelings from Severus, or from the Penseive?

He felt Hermione squeeze his hand and looked up at he concerned expression. He was rubbing his forehead, having been lost in thought. Now he brought himself back to the task at hand, feeling another sense of urgency that this had to be done now.

"Listen to what I say without interrupting. I know you will have a lot of questions and that you will both be angry at me and especially at Severus. But you have to know that there are things I can't explain fully right now. You will have to trust me, and Severus, even though you won't want to."

His eyes burned with an intensity that the other two had never seen. Hermione had to bite her lip to keep from voicing a dread that was welling up in her stomach. She reached over and Ron's other hand grasped hers, so that the three of them were now clasping hands together in a circle.

Harry took a deep breath. "You would have found this out one day, Hermione, because you deserve to know the truth of what happened. I just thought there would be a better time and place. But now Voldemort knows the truth, and he is planning to use it as a way of attacking me through you. He knows that this information will cause a rift between us and he knows that it will be possible to cause me such despair by this that I will be his, that my most loyal friends will abandon me."

Hermione shook her head, obviously unable to come up with anything powerful enough to cause her to question her loyalty to Harry. Harry squeezed her hand in warning, so that he could continue.

"Last summer, when we were at your parents' house, I had that nightmare … remember?" At her nod, he closed his eyes briefly. "I dreamed that Death Eaters would attack and kill your parents." He opened his eyes at her sharp gasp. Keeping his eyes fixed on hers, he went on. "I had never had dreams of premonition before, so Severus thought it wasn't likely that it would come to pass. But he worried enough that he spoke to your dad about it anyway. You have to know that, 'Mione … he warned your dad to take precautions; he told him about Death Eaters and what they were capable of. He told him to talk to your mum and make a plan …" He closed his eyes again, dreading the next words he had to say.

"On the night your parents died, Severus was there." Hermione tried to jerk her hand out of Harry's and he heard a sob as she struggled briefly. He hung on tightly, eyes still closed. "Lucius Malfoy was there, and Voldemort was even there. He wanted to make an example of your parents because you are one of my best friends. He was there to see the work of his Inner Circle first-hand. Severus had told your dad how Death Eaters play with their victims. Your dad knew that the only hope for them then was a quick and merciful death. Your dad had not talked to your mum, so she didn't know … but your dad knew that Severus was a spy. He knew Severus was their only hope … Voldemort gave your mother to Severus as some kind of reward and Lucius was furious. He would have drawn out her torture for hours … Severus knew that, and he knew he had no other choice."

Harry opened his eyes again to look at Hermione. Tears were running down her face as she shook her head in denial. She had stopped trying to loosen Harry's grip on her hand. "Stop," she whispered. "Don't tell me any more … I can't bear it …"

"I have to tell you, 'Mione, because this is what Voldemort is about to announce to everyone. He is about to cause so much destruction, just with some words … you have to know now, so you will be ready for it. You have to be ready to accept it and know that what happened was beyond anyone's power to stop, and if he could have, Severus would have rescued your parents that night. It was the hardest thing he's ever done …"

Drawing a deep breath, he whispered quickly, "Severus killed your mum. He killed her quickly so that Lucius and Voldemort and any of the other Death Eaters there wouldn't have a chance at her." Hermione was sobbing now and desperately trying to free her hand. Ron had let go of Harry and moved over the bed to sit beside Hermione, and he held her close against his chest. Harry saw the tears running down the cheeks of his best friends and felt tears burning in his own eyes.

"I hated him, too," he whispered. "I hated him because all I knew was that he had done it, and not why. I didn't understand about there not having been a choice. He finally let me see it all in the Penseive. You have to believe me that there was no other way for it to end. He'll let you see, if you want to, after all this is done." He squeezed her hand brutally hard then. "But right now, it's important that you trust me and believe that he didn't want it to happen that way. I need all of you—all of the strength your friendship gives me—if I have any hope of beating Voldemort—"

He let go of her hand then and a grabbed his forehead with a groan. Despite their distress, the weeping girl and boy looked at Harry in concern. When Harry looked up at them, they could see the scar on his forehead standing out red against his pale skin.

"Harry? What—" was as far as Ron got before Harry was retching over the side of the bed.

He pulled himself up, wiping his mouth on a sleeve and then stumbled out of the bed towards the door. Ron and Hermione leaped up in alarm and followed him, as did Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall, who had run into the room upon hearing the noise of Harry vomiting.

He shook off their hands when they made to pull him to a stop. "Have to get to Dumbledore's office … the Penseive … Severus …" He could not make a coherent sentence and they just glanced at each other and continued to follow him out of the hospital and along the corridors to the Headmaster's office.

The gargoyles stepped aside without any password being uttered, but no one spared more than a few seconds wonder at that. The door to the office was open and Harry lurched across the floor to where Dumbledore stood next to the table with the Penseive. The silver contents were roiling in the bowl as if stirred by a miniature storm. It was impossible to see into the depths, as Dumbledore was trying to do. He looked up at Harry, his face grim, eyes sharp.

Harry joined him and they stared down into the seething liquid. Neither said anything, but jerked backwards as a tall form suddenly emerged to stand beside them.

Remus was gasping, face pale, wand clutched in his hand. Dumbledore steered him to the nearest chair and bent over him, grasping his shoulder. "Tell me what happened, Remus."

Remus shook his head, "I don't know. It wasn't like any other time I've ever been in a Penseive. We were not merely observers … Voldemort was there and spoke directly to us."

Harry looked from Remus to the Penseive and back to Remus. "Where is Severus?"

"A shadow came out of the mist … it became a huge snake. It attacked him, covering him in its coils. I tried to disable it, hurt it, get it to let go. But nothing seemed to penetrate … it dragged him away …" Remus's face was twisted in a grimace of horror. "I tried to follow, but I lost him … I had to leave him …"

Harry made a move toward the Penseive and Remus shot out a hand to grab his arm. "No! That's what Voldemort wants!"

Harry struggled against the grip the werewolf had on him, but Remus stood up and pulled Harry into a tight embrace, stilling his attempt. "He was being suffocated by the snake, Harry … by now … he's probably—"

"No! He's not dead! I feel it! If he was dead, I wouldn't be getting these surges through the link." Harry tried to push Remus away.

Dumledore laid a hand on his shoulder. "The surges could be from Voldemort. He could be tricking you, to get you inside."

Harry stilled at that, and after a few moments, Remus let him go, still keeping an arm around his shoulders. Remus looked at Dumbledore, his own panic now under control.

"Voldemort said something about having gained control of Dream Demons. If we knew what that meant, perhaps we could find a way to fight this. That snake might have been a demon, it moved so quickly."

Behind them, Hermione gasped and they turned to look at her. "I've been researching dreams, because of everything Harry has been going through. I saw something about Dream Demons … but I discounted it … it didn't seem important. If I can remember where I read it—"

Harry looked at her. Her face was still reddened from crying, and she had Ron's hand gripped in hers. He walked to them slowly, and upon reaching them raised his hand palm up, as if in question. "You still want to help me, to help Severus?"

Hermione's face screwed up in anguish again, but she took Harry's hand. "I wish you had told me before, but I think I understand why you didn't. I'm so angry with you, and I want to blame you, and hate Professor Snape." She looked at him searchingly for a long moment. "But that's what Voldemort wants, isn't it? He wants me to doubt you so that I won't help you. But whatever hand killed my parents, it was ultimately him, wasn't it? He is the one to pin it all on. I think I can wait to sort all the rest out later."

Harry took a deep breath of relief and nodded his thanks to her. Tears sprang to her eyes again and she hurriedly hugged him, before looking at Ron. "Come on. We have research to do." She looked at Professor McGonagall. "Please, Professor, may I have an official pass to the Restricted Section?"

McGonagall glanced at Dumbledore for his approval before pulling a piece of parchment out of her pocket and waving her wand over it. "See that you do not abuse this—official—permission, Miss Granger."

Hermione had the grace to blush. She knew that she could have just as easily used Harry's Invisibility Cloak to gain access to the Restricted Section, but this way, she would be able to go any time and even check books out. She turned back to Harry and Dumbledore. "As soon as I find anything, I'll be back."

Dumbledore nodded. "Time is short, I think, Miss Granger. I will have elves bring you refreshments in the library so that you will not have to leave it. Madame Pince will be notified."

Dawn was just throwing the first light through the windows. Madame Pomfrey looked at all of them. "If anyone needs Pepper Up, I have a small supply. Severus was just about to brew more, but hadn't gotten to it yet."

She waved her wand over Harry and made a tsking noise. "Sit down, before you fall down, Mr. Potter. You really should come back to the Infirmary."

Harry shook his head, looking at the Penseive that still looked anything but smooth, mirrored liquid. "I want to be here. If he can come back, he'll be here."

They all knew to whom he referred. She gently pushed him into the chair next to where Remus had been seated before. Shaking her head, she walked out, followed by Ron and Hermione.

Dumbledore conjured up a tray of tea and encouraged both Remus and Harry to drink. Then he and Professor McGonagall settled into chairs across the room. Harry and Remus sat and stared at the Penseive.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Ron and Hermione ignore the disapprovingly pursed lips of the librarian. She was doubly put out that the pass provided by McGonagall not only had Hermione's name on it, but Ron's, as well. She hung around, muttering, as they searched the stacks for anything that might help, anything where Hermione may have seen the mention of Dream Demons.

Taking a pile of books in their arms, they made their way to a secluded table. It was near the Restricted section and afforded them the advantage of being positioned where no one would be able to sneak up behind them.

As they sat down, a tray of breakfast rolls appeared, along with a pot of tea and one of coffee. They helped themselves and had been skimming through the books for an hour when they looked up at the sound of a clearing throat.

Draco stood there, his face carefully devoid of interest as he asked, "Have you seen my Head of House? He seems to be … missing."

Hermione searched the grey eyes for a long moment before giving a nod at the chair across from them. Draco looked around the empty library carefully before sitting down.

Ron spoke up first. "You've been keeping away from us for a while now, Malfoy. I'm beginning to question your loyalties, again."

Draco snorted. "As if you ever believed them to be anything other than dark. Don't make me laugh, Weasley. I know you don't trust me and likely never will. But things have been tense since the winter hols. You know that."

Ron gazed at him with narrowed eyes for a long moment before nodding. Draco helped himself to a cup of coffee when an extra cup appeared on the tray. "So. My Head of House."

The Gryffindor girl and boy glanced at one another before Hermione answered. "Apparently, he's caught in the Penseive, maybe by a Dream Demon. We're researching to see if I can find where I've seen that name before."

Draco sat back, face in a very un-Slytherin expression of surprise. "How did he get caught in the Penseive? That's not supposed to be possible."

"I guess You-Know-Who wasn't aware of that, Malfoy," Ron said sarcastically.

Malfoy narrowed his eyes in concentration. After a few minutes, he said, "So, Potter is having dreams, they moved one to the Penseive, and Severus went in? Is that how it went?"

They looked at him in surprise, openly astonished that he had gotten so close to the answer so quickly. Ron thumped a closed fist on the table.

"Maybe you're so smart about it all because you knew what was happening. Maybe your murdering Death Eater friends have known about this and clued you in."

Draco shook his head. "Relax, Weasley. I'm no more a Death Eater than you are. I've had to play a role since the hols, and that's it."

Ron looked determined not to explain anything to the Slytherin, but Hermione began to talk quietly after a few more moments of thought.

"Professor Lupin was in the Penseive with Professor Snape. He said that a dark shadow took the form of a snake, suffocating Professor Snape and dragging him away. He came out of the Penseive after he couldn't find him. He said the Penseive didn't behave like it housed a memory, but it interacted with them, speaking to them before the Professor disappeared."

Draco had sat forward, eyes intent on Hermione as she spoke. "Who spoke to them?"

"Voldemort."

Draco sat back again, expelling a deep breath, muttering quietly, "He really did find a way in, then."

Hermione narrowed her own eyes at him. "What do you mean? You knew Voldemort was planning something like this and you didn't say anything?"

"I have said something, to Severus," he said defensively. "That's why I needed to see him now. The Death Eaters' children have gotten messages, midnight owls to the dungeons, that they should be ready today. I have been trying to find Severus when I found you here."

"Ready for what?" Ron questioned.

"My guess was a battle of some sort, here or in Hogsmeade. Now that you've told me what's happened, my better guess is here. If Voldemort found a way into the Penseive, and if he finds a way out, he'll be right where he wants to be … inside Hogwarts."

They all looked at each other in silence. Draco used the pass he had had to the Restricted Section since third year, and he loaded the table down with several more books. He opened a few, flipping the pages, and finally shoved one over in front of Hermione.

"Is this it?"

She frowned and pulled the book closer to read:

THE ONEIROI were the dark-winged Daimones (Spirits) of dreams. They emerged each night like a flock of bats from their cavernous home in Erebos, the Land of Eternal Darkness beyond the rising sun. The Oneiroi passed through one of two gates (_pylai_). The first of these, made of horn, was the source of the prophetic god-sent dreams, while the other, constructed of ivory, was the source of dreams which were false and without meaning. The term for nightmare was _melas oneiros_ (black dream). 

She looked up at Draco. "But this is Greek Mythology. It's not real."

Draco rolled his eyes. "You're thinking like a Muggle." He held up a hand to forestall both of their obviously angry responses. "There is something real in every legend, every myth. The Greek legends are based upon more solid truth than any other in the world."

He pulled the book back to himself and flipped the pages some more. Pointing out a particular paragraph, he asked, "Look familiar?

Hermione and Ron looked down at the book.

MOROS (or Morus) was the god or spirit (daimon) of doom. He was the force which drove a man to his fated death.

In a sense he was also the god of depression. Aiskhylos relates that Prometheus saved mankind from the misery of seeing their own doom (_moros_) with the gift of hope (_elpis_). So Elpis here is regarded as his opposite number.

Moros's siblings Thanatos and Ker represented other aspects of death: Ker was the physical agent of violent death or illness, while Thanatos was peaceful, sleep-like death personified. 

Ron and Hermione looked at each other and then back at Draco. Hermione asked, "Are you saying that Voldemort has possibly gained control of these ancient deities, and that they are helping him somehow attack Harry through his dreams?"

Draco crossed his arms to hold in a shudder. "Not just Harry. If what you said about what's happened with the Penseive is accurate, then he's found a way to get to others as well. Severus may have been just the first of countless victims, if he finds a way of getting them out of the Penseive and into our world."

They sat silently for a few more moments. Ron read the passages in the book again and then said, "We have to get this up to Dumbledore."

Draco stood up. "Now that we know, don't you dare go back to sleep. None of us can, until we know that the Dark Lord no longer controls these creatures."

Hermione got a sudden look of panic on her face. "Madame Pomfrey won't have enough Pepper Upper Potion to keep everyone awake. She just told us that she was almost out because Professor Snape hadn't yet brewed new stock for her."

Draco chewed his lip in thought, and then said quickly, "I have the password to Severus's lab. I'll check his supplies of the potion and then I'll start brewing more."

Ron looked skeptical. "How do you happen to have the password and know so much about brewing?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "He is my godfather, Weasley. He let me have the password so I would have a safe place to go in the dungeons. As for the brewing, Granger can tell you it's not that difficult. It was fourth year stuff. And some of us didn't flunk out of potions."

Ron seethed. "I did not flunk out! I just didn't get an OWL in it."

"Whatever. We've all got something that needs doing. I'll meet you in Dumbledore's office after I get the brewing started."

Hermione gathered up the books they had found the needed information in and she and Ron left the library ahead of Draco.

After returning all the other restricted books to Madame Pince, Draco made his way back to the dungeons.

When they were a safe distance away, Ron stopped Hermione. "You didn't tell him that Remus thinks Snape may already be dead."

She looked up at him for a moment with brown eyes suddenly full of tears. "We need him. That doesn't mean I totally trust him. If he thinks his godfather is still alive, he'll help. I'm afraid if he thinks Snape is dead and Harry has lost his protector, he may decide to side with Voldemort."

They hurried on to the headmaster's office, where Hermione prayed they would all be able to figure out what to do next.

_**A/N**__: Material between symbols was taken directly from __theoidotcom/__, a Greek Mythology website._

_Bear with me here. After all the canon hoopla of the final battle, I am going for a way AU ending. There are no horcruxes here, so don't come bashing me for that. It is not an oversight. I simply chose another way for this to go down. Don't bash me for any misguided use of Greek mythology. I am taking what I need to weave the story here. It's fiction. All JKR's characters and ideas belong to her and her significant handlers, etc. _

_Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! Thank you for staying with me. Please stay for just a few more chapters! It's almost done. But I may have a few more surprises for you, yet!_

_Thank you, brilliant beta that you are, __**logicalquirk**__! And thank you, my sweet __**Kim**__! I am sure you would make a most excellent house elf, but then you might not be in the right place at the right time to see the end!_


	47. Chapter 47

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 47

Harry sat in the chair with his eyes closed and Remus thought that he might have gone to sleep, he was so still. He and Dumbledore watched the boy wordlessly until he at last opened his eyes. Turning to look at each of them in turn, he then looked at the Penseive.

"I can still feel Severus. He's alive. He's not aware, but he is still alive."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Tell me how you know this, Harry."

Harry turned to him fully, meeting the piercing blue eyes readily. "Because I can see him."

He let Dumbledore past the blocks in his mind to see the visions that had held his attention for the last hour. Dumbledore peered into the deep green eyes intently, while Remus looked between them.

When Dumbledore at last broke his gaze away, Remus asked, "Well? Is there a way to get him back?"

Harry stood up and began to walk around the office. His legs felt stronger now. He would need another dose of some kind of strengthening potion, but he felt ready to get on with this.

"The snake you saw was a Dream Demon. Voldemort has somehow gotten control of one. Maybe there's more, I don't know."

"What's a Dream Demon?" The former Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor suddenly felt a sense of dread that this was some kind of evil that he was not familiar with.

Harry turned to him. "Don't worry. Hermione, Ron and Draco are getting the information. They'll be here soon."

He saw Remus's astonished expression. He knew that Remus was wondering how Harry had known he felt worried when he had not said anything aloud about it. Harry looked between the two men and gave a small smile. "Voldemort believes that I am weaker now. He believes that I am afraid. That's a good thing for us." At their questioning look, he continued. "The fire caused something in me to … I don't know … grow, I guess is the best word. For months, I've been denying the power in me. I didn't want anything else that would make me different. It's been growing since last summer."

He walked silently and they waited for him to speak again. "I think, that when he sensed my weakness, after I was attacked, he thought he had already won. He thought that he had more time and he could sit back and enjoy the victory. But he's wrong. What he's doing now, he's making the end worse for himself. Because I know that I am stronger, if I have my friend's help." He frowned then and looked at Remus. "You have to forgive Severus. Everyone has to go into this trusting each other. If anyone is not fully with me, we will fail."

Remus looked agonized. "I understand how he could kill Lucius. Hell, I killed Dursley for the same reasons. But he killed Hermione's mother? That wasn't some faceless Muggle … I can't understand that."

Harry stepped up to him and gently fisted Remus's robe fronts in his hands. He drew very close. His eyes were haunted as he locked them with the werewolf's. "He saved her, Remus. Lucius was going to torture and rape her while Voldemort watched. I saw it. Severus made it quick, before she could suffer. Lucius killed Mr. Granger right afterwards, because he was so angry at Severus." Harry stared up at him with eyes begging for understanding.

Remus swallowed hard, putting his hands on top of Harry's. "Alright."

Harry leaned his forehead against Remus's chest and Remus put his arms around him, holding him. "Are you certain you're ready for this, Harry?"

Harry stepped back, and then went to the window. Opening it, he peered out. "Tonight is the night of the new moon. I'm strongest in the dark of the moon. It has to be tonight." He turned to face them. "They are coming here. We will need to direct the fight out of the school." He searched Dumbledore's face.

The Headmaster frowned and stroked his beard for a few moments. "The Labyrinth … it is outside and already spelled to a degree."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Yes. Can you spell the fountain in the center to behave like a Penseive?"

Dumbledore tilted his head at that. "Are you thinking of using it as such?"

"We need access to whatever Voldemort is going to do. But if we can transfer the bad from the real Penseive to the fountain …"

"A Penseive takes many years to construct, Harry. It's a powerful magical artifact. The dreams, or memories, and whatever is in them would not likely survive—" His eyes widened, seeing the logic of Harry's reasoning. "A trap, then?" Harry nodded. Dumbledore twinkled madly. "That's counting on Voldemort to be rather careless, isn't it?"

"No. It's counting on him to be arrogant."

OoOoOoOoOoO

Draco shivered as he entered the empty classroom laboratory. For all his Slytherin bravado, it was creepy to be here alone. He was very glad that he knew the passwords to the classroom, that Severus had felt it wise to provide Draco with a place to go to if he felt unsafe in his dorm. Up until now, he had managed to project his usual pompous airs, playing the role of a Death Eater child for the children of other Death Eaters. No one had discovered that Lucius was never coming back. Narcissa maintained her own cover as the consummate loyal wife, just empty-headed enough to remain beneath the Dark Lord's notice, after he had personally questioned her regarding Lucius's whereabouts. She had entertained other pureblood Death Eater families over the winter holidays, as if expecting Lucius to return at any time. It was during these times that Narcissa and Draco learned of the plans being made by the Dark Lord. The Death Eaters and their Hogwarts attending children were about to attempt a coup that could shake the wizarding world.

By their estimation, those who attended Hogwarts were the elite of their world, pureblood or not. They were the most powerful, the most talented at wielding their magical abilities. Their parents had most likely attended Hogwarts and were quite powerful. The desire to have the political and monetary power promised by the Dark Lord to his true followers had most of Slytherin and a small number of the other houses falling into line. With the exception of Gryffindor, there were children in every house who had parents who either out of avarice, or fear, had thrown their lot in with the dark side.

At the Malfoy holiday parties, they had heard whispers of dreadful demons, a new darkness that Voldemort had found a way to harness to his desires. Draco knew that it was not new at all. Anyone who had paid half a mind to History of Magic would realize that the demons the Dark Lord had found were not new. That's why they had been familiar in name to Granger, Draco thought. She would have found it in all the books she had been searching through, but it was best he had been able to point her to it sooner. Harry trusted her, Dumbledore trusted her; she was brilliant, as he secretly would admit. With all of them together, they would figure out a defense.

He began to gather all the necessary ingredients from the general stores, after opening a potions book to the chapter on the Pepper Up Potion. They might not be as able to work with him in the same room as they made their plans, so it was good that he had a job to do here. Severus had told him that there was still a great deal of suspicion, even though he and his mother had stood by when Harry had been rescued from their dungeons; even though she had professed the deepest anger at what Lucius had done. For now, they had continued to play the role that Severus had played for so long. They had gleaned what information they could and passed it on to Severus after the holidays.

Draco began the brewing. If the battle was going to begin soon, they would need the potion to remain alert against the Dream Demons. He had gotten that much from his own research. If unleashed, no one would be safe. Apparently, the Dark Lord had already found a way of implanting them in Potter, counting on Dumbledore to try and remove the dream into the Penseive to view. Of course, the old man did, and sent Severus in to see what was what. If the werewolf hadn't been there, they might not have ever known what they were up against …

Draco straightened up in thought. Granger would think of it, wouldn't she? She'd put it together; tell them that they could not go in and expect to bring Severus out. By now, Voldemort had realized that Severus was now a weapon at his disposal. He would believe that Harry would take any chance to get his guardian back. She would stop them, wouldn't she?

Cursing under his breath, he carefully worked to the point where he could leave the potion for a while. He couldn't relax about this until he made sure that they were not going after Severus. A pang of grief made him clutch at his chest. The man was his godfather. He had protected Draco, encouraged him in making the best choices for his life. He could not believe that it had come to him having to make the choice to _not_ rescue Severus.

The Pepper Up Potion was bubbling evenly, needing only to be kept at the prescribed temperature for two hours before being cooled and bottled. Draco set his watch as a timer and left the lab, locking it behind himself. Walking through the classroom, he heard a whimper from under the teacher's desk. Bending down, he saw Jack, huddled on his blanket. Holding out his hand, Draco called to the little dog.

"Come on, mutt. I thought you were already up there with Harry. When did you come back here?" Jack slowly extended his nose, sniffing Draco's hand. Finally, he walked out from under the desk, but refused to let Draco pick him up. The blond shrugged. "Okay, then. It's a long way to the Headmaster's office. I was going to carry you to Harry, but if you'd rather walk …"

Jack just looked up at Draco with big brown eyes, his tail wagging weakly at the mention of Harry's name. Draco started for the door again. "You can't stay here since Severus won't be coming back."

Draco had gotten to know the dog a little, from the few times he had come to Severus's office after the holidays. Jack wouldn't fetch for him, but he did allow Draco to pet him. Now, he simply followed Draco out of the classroom and waited while Draco locked and re-warded the door. Then they set off out of the dungeons, towards the Headmaster's office.

Draco was lost in his thoughts about the unfairness of Severus's fate when he heard the throaty growls at his feet. He stopped and looked down at Jack, seeing that the dog was now pressed against his legs, hackles along the ridge of his spine raised, teeth bared.

Draco drew his wand and looked towards the end of the corridor where Jack was staring. A group of Slytherins appeared, each with their own wands drawn. Nott had his eyes narrowed at Draco, glancing at his leveled wand.

"Dangerous business, Malfoy, to draw on your own house. One would almost think that you weren't on our side." He stared at Draco, eyes glittering with malice.

Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini stood beside him. Pansy gave a high laugh at the dog. "What a ferocious watch dog you have there, Draco. It's Potter's, isn't it? What are you doing with it? Could it be that you're taking him to Potter now? How … friendly of you. We could have a little fun with him, instead. If Potter cares for him, it could weaken him more if his familiar is damaged."

The three began to advance on Draco. Zabini spoke, "We really think it would be best if you were out of the way. It wouldn't do if it turned out you are sympathetic to the other side, after all."

Nott began a spell and Draco immediately raised a shield. He knew he couldn't attack them through it, and with three to one, it wouldn't be long before they broke through it, even if he was the superior dueler. If more Slytherins showed up, he was most certainly lost. He kept his _Protego_ shield in place as he maneuvered to get his back against a wall. The three of them were casting hex after hex and Draco was trying to think of a way out of this.

A scream from Nott brought the other two attackers to a halt as they turned to see what he was screaming about. When they did, Pansy began to scream and Zabini was backing away, all thoughts of disabling Draco gone.

Jack was attached to Nott. Draco swallowed hard, but kept his shield raised. The little dog wasn't so little anymore; at least his teeth and jaws weren't. Those razor sharp teeth had lengthened, and had a grip from lower abdomen to thigh, enclosing everything in between. Blood gushed down the thighs, pooling in the floor as Nott continued to scream, sounding more like Pansy than a junior Death Eater. Nott had dropped his wand and held his hands down towards the dog as if to try and remove him. Jack's eyes glowed a fiery orange, and the growl he was emitting was that of an animal ten times his size. Nott seemed frozen in place, the scream keening from his throat causing chills in Draco.

Draco shuddered as Jack braced all four paws against the boy and gave a mighty jerk backwards with his head. He landed on the floor with a huge chunk of Nott dangling in his jaws. After giving it a vicious shake, he dropped it and stepped back to watch as Nott slowly sank to his knees, the scream dying as his blood continued to drain onto the stones. Zabini had disappeared. Pansy had sunk to the floor, her hands in claws as they clutched at her face in horror. Draco lowered his shield and summoned all three of their wands from where they had been dropped, and pocketed them. Nott fell forward onto the ground, and Draco was very glad that the wound Jack had inflicted was hidden from view.

Jack looked up at him and gave a small wag of his tail, as if asking Draco if he had done all right. His teeth and jaws looked normal again, although his muzzle was covered with Nott's blood. He licked at his lips and just stared at Draco expectantly.

Draco took a shaking breath and stepped forward. Skirting the widening pool of blood, he checked Nott for a pulse. Finding none, he looked down at Pansy. "When you go back to your friends, be sure and tell them that this is the least they can expect if they continue to follow their parents into the service of the Dark Lord. He won't care. You're expendable, no matter what he tells you otherwise." Pansy was staring at Nott's body. Draco gave her a light tap with his foot. "Get up, Parkinson. Go to your friends and let them know that the price will be high. Tell them to make sure it will all be worth it."

Pansy slowly climbed to her feet, using the wall to scrabble her way up. Draco almost felt sorry for her, that she had witnessed such a horrific thing. He gave her gentle push to send her on her way, thinking that perhaps her account of this might persuade the other Death Eater children to back off. If they would at least not participate in the attack, they might have a chance afterwards at seeing the side of the dark for what it really was. He watched her lurch unsteadily down the corridor, shaking his head. He hoped she and Zabini would be coherent enough to do some good.

Looking back down at Nott's body, he realized that he could not just leave the guy lying there like that. With a grimace, he levitated the body parts Jack had removed and laid them beside Nott. Then he levitated Nott and the pieces into an alcove. He cast a concealment spell and then Scourgified the stones of blood. Any further action would require the help of the Headmaster.

He turned and continued his walk to Dumbledore's office, Jack trotting calmly at his side. He looked down at the little dog and was very glad that he was on Harry's side, and that Jack recognized that fact.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Hermione and Ron had run back to Dumbledore's office. Just outside the door, they met McGonagall. She carried her own stack of parchment and books. She looked at all the books they were carrying and said the password herself, letting them all up the winding staircase.

Once inside, they saw that they had been joined by the other Hogwarts professors. Hermione immediately began reeling off information. Ron struggled to keep up, but saw that the adults and Harry all understood exactly what Hermione was saying about the Dream Demon and the probable origination. She pointed out the passages that Draco had found, and added lastly, "He went to Professor Snape's lab to brew more Pepper Up. He has the passwords for the Professor's quarters, since the Slytherins have been so riled up recently."

The other Heads of Houses stared at one another and then at Dumbledore. The Headmaster said gravely, "I fear that the time is short. I will contact the rest of the Order. If this all has to occur here, I think that Harry is correct in believing that the Labyrinth is the best place. We must use it to make sure that any battle is fought outside the proper walls of Hogwarts. We will seal the students inside their houses, if you will see to that first. You have all put your own spells within the Labyrinth already. I am asking you to strengthen them, making them as protective of the side of the light as possible." He turned to Pomona Sprout. "If you would also charm the plants to extraordinary growth, and keyed to allow safe passage only to the Light. If we make the Labyrinth more maze-like, we will have an even greater advantage. I myself will charm the fountain."

Everyone had nodded their heads and was about to leave the office when Draco entered with Jack. The dog ran to Harry, who scooped him up as he leapt into his arms. Draco spoke without preamble. "I hope you're about to go lock students in. You better start with Slytherin. They are already on the alert from Death Eater influences. I was attacked on my way here."

Harry stepped forward. "Who?"

"Nott, Zabini, and Parkinson. Nott is dead."

Dumbledore laid a hand on Draco's arm. "Did you—"

"No. I didn't have a chance at more than a shielding spell. Jack killed Nott."

The room erupted in startled murmurs. Harry held Jack closer and frowned. "Not funny, Malfoy."

"No, it wasn't," Draco agreed. "The mutt morphs into one mean hell hound when confronted. I'm glad he knows I'm with you."

Harry looked closer at Jack and saw the flecks of blood that remained on his muzzle. The small dog just looked up at him adoringly. Harry looked at Remus, who held out his arms for the dog. Jack went willingly enough and held the gaze that that the werewolf leveled at him for several moments. The dog went still as it looked back at Remus. For a moment, his eyes glowed yellow as a sort of understanding passed between the two canines. Finally, Remus looked at Harry and then Dumbledore.

"Jack _has_ killed someone. He knew it to be an enemy that needed to be stopped. I do not sense that he is feral. He is loyal to Harry." Remus pulled the dog close to his chest and Jack simply lay there in his arms, perfectly calm and content, and looking for all the world like a very normal Jack Russell terrier. He certainly didn't behave like an animal that had been involved in an attack minutes before.

Dumbledore spoke softly. "Mr. Nott's body?"

Draco drew himself up. "I cleaned up the area a bit and put his body in an alcove, under a concealment charm. Zabini had abandoned the attack right after Jack got hold of Nott. I sent Pansy back to Slytherin to inform them they needed to rethink their loyalties."

Dumbledore nodded. After thinking for a moment, he looked at the other professors. "I believe that it would be safer to send at least two of you together to Slytherin House. I am aware that several owls have been received by them this past night. Together with these recent events, I believe you need to simply seal them in for now. I'll have the house elves pop food in. The Bloody Baron will keep me informed about what is happening inside. Even for those students who may not be involved … it is perhaps best not to single them out either way." His face was sad and tired, as if thinking about how these children were drifting into dark waters had aged and exhausted him.

McGonagall and Flitwick volunteered to go to Slytherin, while Professors Sprout, Vector, and Sinistra agreed to seal the wards on the doors of the other three houses. Dumbledore looked at the students who stood in his office.

"I cannot ask that you fight this battle. Any of you. Of all the students, you are the most capable, certainly. But we will understand if you choose to join your housemates behind the wards"

Draco, Ron and Hermione each looked at Harry and then at the headmaster.

Hermione spoke for them all. "We intend to stand by Harry. He needs his friends beside him when he faces the enemy. Even though we are not nearly as strong as he is, he needs to feel that he is not alone."

The two boys nodded their agreement and Harry stepped up to them, touching them on the shoulders, each in turn. "I care so much for all of you … I hate the thought that that you are putting yourself in danger. Knowing that you're all with me in spirit, if not physically beside me, is enough. I want you all to be safe. I want you to stay back."

Draco stepped up before the other two could react. "That's not happening. We will be right there. You believed in me being able to make the right choice, even with the bastard who raised me being one of your worst enemies. I plan to have your back, no matter what."

Harry felt himself begin to shake with emotion when the three friends gathered close around him, hugging him. They stayed huddled together for several minutes before Dumbledore cleared his throat. The all looked up at him.

"I am calling the Aurors and the Order members to gather here. Harry, I need to know what your plan is, so we can best utilize everyone."

Harry shook his head. "I am still making the plan, sir. With Hermione's information, I need to think … I'm going to my own rooms. I believe the answers I need will come to me there."

Remus moved up beside him. "I'll stay with you," he said, as he gathered the books and parchments of notes they had all been pouring over.

Draco looked at Hermione. "If Slytherin is sealed, it will be safe enough for you to come to the dungeons and help me finish the Pepper Up."

Hermione looked torn between following Harry and going with Draco. Harry gathered the books up from the table and said to her, "Go with Draco. Remus will help me. Ron, you stay with them. If there are any Slytherins outside their house, and they aren't friendly, Draco and Hermione will need you."

He looked at Dumbledore. "We'll need the Penseive in the Labyrinth."

Dumledore nodded. "I'll see to it, Harry."

As Dumbledore began making his firecalls, Draco, Hermione and Ron headed back to the dungeons. Harry and Remus went to Harry's sanctuary rooms, followed by Jack.

In the Houses, students were protesting against being locked in by the professors. In Gryffindor, the sixth and seventh year students made Professor Sinistra promise to tell Dumbledore they each wanted to fight.

In Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, there were also a number of students who wished to be included in any battle.

The dungeons rang with the screams of outrage from the Slytherins, as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick sealed the entrance to their common room. The Bloody Baron drifted through the walls when asked to check that any younger students were safely in their own dormitories. He returned quickly and indicated that all was secure, despite the sound that it was otherwise.

All the professors met back in Dumbledore's office, just as the first Order members and Aurors began to arrive.

The Pepper Up Potion was completed, and put into single dose vials to be distributed among the fighters.

Remus spread the books out on the table in Harry's room. Harry stood staring at the tapestry with the labyrinth design, the model for the one just outside. After a few moments, Harry joined Remus in bending over the texts. He pointed to an illustration depicting the Dream Daemons as brothers. It was an old type of drawing, done in black and white, probably pen and ink. Remus noted that Harry had his finger on a symbol that appeared on one of the daemons' belts.

"Is that a rune? There's one that looks like it on the tapestry."

Remus bent closer and then followed Harry to the tapestry to see the similar symbol on one edge. Harry went back and picked up the book, bringing it to stand in front of the tapestry. Remus's eyes moved back and forth between the tapestry and the illustration for several minutes.

His voice was thoughtful as he said slowly, "My rune translation is a little rusty, but I was pretty good at it back in my day … these runes," he tapped the tapestry with a forefinger, "seem to correspond with ones on each of the demons. The question is whether or not it's significant, or simply by chance."

Harry remained silent for along while as he looked at each figure and the rune symbols on each. Then he asked, "So what do you think they mean?"

Remus studied the tapestry symbols a while longer and then pointed to the symbol at the top. "This one at the northern point appears to be the rune for doom and depression, marking Moros," he pointed to the picture in the book, indicating an evil, dark appearing creature. "The rune right below it is the symbol for 'earth'. Above it is the rune for 'north'."

He ran his finger around the edge of the tapestry to the right. In the middle he stopped, pointing to the runes drawn there. "East, Thanatos, fire. Thanatos is described here as a brother to Moros, and he is the daemon of violent death."

On the bottom of the tapestry, Remus touched the symbols with more assurance. "South, Elpis, wind." He looked back at the book. "Elpis is a sister daemona who embodies the spirit of hope."

They moved to the left and Remus ran a hand over those symbols. "These last runes are for the west, Ker, and water. Ker is the bringer of a peaceful death."

Harry s tapestry stepped back and sat on his settee. He looked at the tapestry and then bent back over the book. Remus stood there staring at the tapestry, hoping that he had translated the symbols correctly.

Harry sighed and Remus looked at him carefully. Harry looked tired, but with an inner glow in his eyes. Remus had seen the strength of Harry's magic when it was launched in the dark of the moon. But this time, Harry had just expended a vast amount of magic only a day before. What if he didn't have the time he needed to be at full power?

Dobby popped into the room beside Harry and Remus saw Harry whisper to him before he popped away.

When Harry saw Remus's questioning look, he said, "I had Dobby go get the Invisibility Cloak."

Dobby came back a short time later with the cloak, and also another object in his hand. Harry took it and gave Dobby a small smile. It was the wooden puzzle sphere that Dobby had given him for Christmas. "I never did thank you properly for this gift, Dobby. Severus told me it was elf made."

Dobby gazed at Harry for a long moment. His usual overemotional state was absent, even as his eyes filled with shimmering tears. "Dobby is knowing that Harry Potter is about to face grave danger. Dobby must make sure that Harry Potter has the elf weapon."

Harry examined the sphere more closely and asked, "Are you saying that this is some sort of weapon? What does it do?"

Dobby gave a shrug. "It will do whatever Harry Potter needs when the time is right. Dobby is the one the elves entrusted to pass it to the wizard who will bring joy to all our masters. The elves know that Harry Potter is the bringer of Light. The elves want all wizards to be part of the Light. Then the elves will be working for good wizards, and not made to do bad things."

Harry looked at Remus and raised an eyebrow. Remus took the sphere from Harry to examine. He carried it over to the tapestry and began to match every symbol on the tapestry to the ones carved into the ball. It looked like a puzzle, but Remus was unable to separate the pieces. When he handed it back to Harry, he watched in fascination as harry easily took it apart and then just as easily reassembled it. Unlike the first time that Harry did this, this time the symbols began to softly glow, each in turn. After they had each done this, the sphere darkened.

Harry was not at all sure what this weapon was to be used for. It seemed significant that the rune symbols matched ones on the tapestry and in the book. He looked back at Dobby. "So, I'll know how to use this when I need to?"

Dobby nodded and then asked, "Is Harry Potter needing anything from Dobby? Dobby is here to help in any way."

Harry ran a hand over Dobby's head in gratitude. "If you could see whether or not the Pepper Up Potion is ready, I could use a dose. I think Madame Pomfrey might have some other potions I need to take, too."

Dobby dared to return Harry's touch by putting his small hand on Harry's arm for a brief moment. Then he was gone.

OoOoOoOoOoO

_A/N: I know it's been longer than usual since the last post…Sorry about that! Real life really bites when it interferes with writing!_

_Thank you for all the reviews! I apologize for the lack of personal responses to each one, but it's that real life interference at work there, also. I cherish each review and they make me crave the keyboard all the more! Red Velvet Cupcakes to you for the way you make me feel loved!_

_Just a note to say that I am not a Greek scholar and my references and characterizations are even more AU than the mythology. I have borrowed some names, and some terms regarding some mythological entities. Hopefully, you will enjoy it in the fanfic spirit they are meant in, and won't pick it apart for its errors. I am taking literary license here! _

_Thanks to my beta, __**logicalquirk**_

_Thanks to my rock, __**Kim**_

_Thanks to my most prolific reviewer, __**Sunsethill**_

_Thanks to __**JKR**__ for writing this world and letting me play in it! I own nothing, nada, zilch!_


	48. Chapter 48

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 48

Harry sat with legs crossed in front of him as he continued to gaze at the tapestry. There was still something missing; some piece of the puzzle that was important. What was the key? He knew he had no more time to search. He had to have it now.

Closing his eyes, he thought about the runes and the daemons they represented. Would it even be possible for him to read more about them and retain enough of the information to help? He knew with certainty that he had to have a clear plan. Nothing would fail faster than going in blind to a battle with Voldemort.

He felt himself drifting off and tried to pull himself up. That Pepper Up Potion was rapidly becoming a must. Before he could open his eyes he was surrounded by mist. But this mist was dark and shadowed, as if it were fine ashes swirling around him. His first thought was that he had somehow been drawn into the Penseive, even though it was down in Dumbledore's office. He strained to pull himself out, but nothing happened. Looking down, he noted that he had his wand drawn and his left hand flexed, fingers splayed, ready for a fight. He listened to whatever sounds might be here, focused his eyes to see any hidden clues.

The woman stood before him, appearing in the split second it took to blink. Harry stepped back but stood his ground. She looked a lot like Bellatrix Lestrange, but closer examination told him that she was not. Her hair hung in heavy dark waves over shoulders wrapped in gauzy shades of black and grey. She had a sort of crown on her head; though he thought maybe circlet would be a better term. It was set with glowing black stones that reminded Harry at once of Severus's eyes. Her eyes were ever-changing shades of grey, from the lightest to the darkest of black, once again, like Severus's.

They stood looking at reach other, she with a curious and measuring expression, he wary about not feeling alarmed, but at ease with her presence.

She broke the silence first. "Not what I would have expected … but perhaps the unexpected will serve to the better …"

Harry tilted his head with slightly narrowed eyes. "Excuse me, but why should you have expected me at all?"

"I called you, didn't I?" Her smile was knowing, her eyes now a calm light grey.

Harry bit back a reply, not liking her acting so familiar. She moved without walking, reminding Harry of the way Voldemort looked when he moved, and Harry gripped his wand tighter.

She circled him once, but Harry did not allow her out of his line of sight. With a sigh she finally began to speak. Harry listened, and gradually relaxed. He had found the key.

Sometime later, Harry felt a sharp jerk on his arm. Opening his eyes, he met the amber eyes of Remus and quickly noted the semi-panicked expression on his face.

"Harry? Are you alright?"

Harry smiled gently at him. "Yes. I have what I need now. Listen …" Harry proceeded to explain the dream he had just emerged from. "'Her name is Nyx. She's the mother of the daemons. She's going to help us."

"Why will she do that, and act against her own children?" Remus looked skeptically at Harry.

"Because she knows that Voldemort is using them. She is the Greek Goddess of night. Mere mortals don't use gods or their offspring for their own gain. The three daemons that Voldemort has harnessed are the ones we see on the tapestry. The one she calls her only spirit of light is Elpis. Elpis and Nyx will be turning the daemons back during the battle. Voldemort will think he has the advantage, but he will lose it."

Remus nodded in understanding, and then asked, "What if they cannot turn the daemons away from Voldemort?"

Harry frowned for a moment and then admitted, "She says that is a possibility. The daemons always craved power and it will be hard to get them to turn. But she will remind them that their time here is over and has been for a very long time. She is pretty angry with them for doing a mortal's bidding."

"So we don't know for certain that this will work."

"No. But it's better than what we had."

Remus drew a deep breath. He really didn't like this. What if this goddess was manipulating Harry? What if she was already on Voldemort's team and this was a trap for them all? "This really feels bad, Harry. I can't get wrapped around the idea that this … goddess wants to help you."

Harry looked at Remus with unblinking, green pools. Then very quietly, he said, "She says Severus may be able to be saved."

Remus sucked in his breath sharply. "Did she say he was still alive?"

"She didn't have to. I told you, he is. The daemon Thanatos has him. He made himself take the form of a snake because Voldemort told him to. But he hasn't killed him yet, because gods are supposed to care for their mortals. If they kill them, there wouldn't have been anyone to worship the gods as they desire."

"She can stop her daemon son from killing Severus?"

"There are no guarantees. Right now, we need to see Dumbledore. There are more preparations to make." Harry rubbed a hand over his scar, closing his eyes. When he swayed, Remus took hold of his elbow to hold him secure. "Voldemort is coming. We have to hurry."

The two of them left Harry's rooms, Jack trailing behind, and made their way back to the Headmaster's office. Remus held Harry's elbow, the boy's unsteadiness making his own nerves even more unsteady. He sincerely prayed that he only needed the Pepper Up Potion and that said potion was ready and in abundant supply.

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The other professors, members of the Order, and a group of trusted Aurors, were already gathered when Remus helped Harry into the room. The looks of fear at Harry's apparent weakness could not be missed. Whispers and murmurs of unrest swept the room.

When Draco entered, followed by Ron and Hermione, they went straight to Harry, pressing several vials into his hand. Harry immediately opened one and swallowed it.

After a few moments, he gently removed Remus's hand from his elbow and stood straight. Taking his time, he made deliberate eye contact with every person in the room. "The last stand is now. I know I do not seem to be what you expected. I am just Harry, the same as I have always been … just Harry. I am not now and never have been the larger than life person you all made me out to be." He waited to let his words sink in and see that they were all listening. Feet shifted restlessly, but no one spoke.

"I believe that the prophecy was about me, and that I am the one that has to … get rid of Voldemort. I do have some powers that are beyond what I ever dreamed possible for me. But, I'm still me. I'm human. I cannot do this alone. It will be more than just Voldemort out there. His followers have been growing in number, and I sense that they will _all_ be here this time. He won't be holding back, because he believes I am weak, and ripe for the taking."

Harry had ignored the numerous gasps as he spoke the Dark Lord's name, and now he ignored the expressions that said that many agreed with the opinion that Harry was weak. He continued, "Draco has brewed enough Pepper Up Potion for us all. Whether you think you need it or not, I want everyone to take some. You saw me when I came in. The weakness is not in my magic right now; in fact it is at it's strongest ever. The weakness is caused by the daemons that Voldemort has harnessed. The Potion will counter it." He stopped again, letting them see the strength in his eyes and in the set of his shoulders. Now there were several sighs of relief around the room.

"The battle will take place where we choose, not where Voldemort wants it. He plans to enter the school. We will meet him outside and force the fight into the labyrinth. I will be waiting at the center for him. I just need for the rest of you to take on the Death Eaters."

An Auror laughed at Harry's choice of words, as if it were only a small request to take on all the Death Eaters in Voldemort's army. Dumbledore twinkled at them as he spoke up. "We will do our best to see that you are unimpeded by the Death Eaters, Harry. Our chore is nothing compared to yours."

Harry gave him a smile of gratitude, silently thanking him for speaking up and not leaving Harry with that sole responsibility. Dumbledore nodded and over the conversations that had begun, he spoke again, "If you would all follow me out to the labyrinth, we will each be placed into position and you will have the opportunity to become familiar with the area. Professor Sprout has added a number of spells that will cause the plantings to behave in our favor …" He led everyone out the door, leaving Harry and Remus.

Remus saw the thin shoulders slump after no one was left to see him. Harry's eyes closed and Remus heard him whispering to himself.

"Severus, I don't know if I can do this without you …"

Remus called for Dobby and the elf appeared beside him in an instant. After a quietly whispered conversation, Dobby looked at Harry and then popped away.

Remus put an arm around Harry and pulled him into an embrace. "You _can_ do this Harry. I've seen you duel. Severus trained with you. I've trained with you. Just remember to use all the instincts you've developed. Let the hot magic work for you when you confront him."

Dobby popped back and handed Remus the item he had requested. Remus removed Harry's outer robe, and Harry felt him drape something else over his shoulders. Looking down, he saw that Dobby had brought one of Severus's black frock coats. Pulling it into his hands, Harry immediately held it to his face. It was one that still had his scent in it, and Harry felt it calm him like nothing else would have. He felt the presence of his guardian, the security, the emotional strength. He thrust his arms into the sleeves and Remus helped him roll up the cuffs until they were the right length. They left the many buttons undone and Harry was able to move his arms freely as he experimented with the range of motion it allowed. Remus stepped back and smiled at Harry. Surprisingly, with the sleeves rolled up, the coat looked quite good on Harry. It fell to below his knees, but was without the billowing volume of a robe.

Dobby nodded his approval. "Master Harry looks very strong. He Who Must Not Be Named will be afraid, Dobby thinks."

Harry took the Elf Sphere and his wand out of his robe and placed them in the pockets of the coat. He smiled at Remus and Dobby, feeling a sense of rightness about wearing this garment for this battle. Severus would be there after all. He hugged himself, wrapping the Severus-imbued frock coat tightly to his body. Now he felt complete.

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The night was moonless, as Harry knew it would be. He could feel the hot magic tensing itself up inside him, like a tiger drawing itself into readiness, its eyes on its prey. The darkness was his ally, and for a few moments, he wondered at that paradox … how his darkness would be (hopefully) what destroyed the darkness that was the Dark Lord. There were bright stars, and they gave enough light to see that the labyrinth hedges had grown taller than Hagrid, who stood at the entrance. The half-giant grinned at Harry, thumping him on the back as he passed by. Harry stopped, his head tilting to the side and his eyes raised to the velvet blackness. He lifted a hand to touch his scar.

"Voldemort is at the gates. They're here." His voice was calm, but it carried through the night air and the side of the Light readied themselves for battle. He looked back at the massive doors of the castle and saw Dumbledore with arms raised to them, adding even more wards to the locked and secured doors. McGonagall stood at his side and they turned to Harry.

Blue eyes met green and held for a long moment, a silent communication passing between them. They nodded to each other and then Harry turned, striding into the maze of hedges, Jack on his heals and Remus flanking him.

As they passed different points, quiet comments of encouragement were spoken by the Order members, Aurors, students and professors. Each time Harry saw someone, he felt the weight of their life settling down on him. If he failed, they would all die. Even if he succeeded, some of them might lose in the individual conflicts to come. The heat inside intensified, his determination that the end would be now, growing. He could not, would not, allow anyone to fall because he was weak. He would get rid of the madman or die trying.

Harry came to the center of the labyrinth and saw that the fountain had been transfigured into a large stone bowl that resembled the Penseive that stood on a short column beside it. He noted that there was something silvery shimmering in the fountain, but upon looking into it, there was nothing there. It was all illusion. The real Penseive still boiled, the silver in it in constant angry motion. It was Harry's dream that was causing the tumultuous activity within, the dream where Severus was trapped.

Harry stood staring down into it, almost leaning into it before Remus caught him back. "Severus … I'm sorry …" He wrapped his arms around his middle again and Remus wrapped his around the boy too.

"Severus is here in your heart, Harry. Each time you do something he taught you, each time you act on an impulse he drilled into you, he's here." Remus heard the sounds of fighting beginning at the perimeters of the labyrinth and he stepped back from Harry abruptly, drawing his wand. Harry looked up at him, drawing his own.

Remus's eyes were giving off flashes of yellow in his heightened state of alert. "Use the senses we have honed. Be smarter than they are, be ready for it. We will take everything and everyone but Voldemort. Keep your focus on him."

Harry nodded once, his face settling into resolved lines of readiness. Jack was standing in front of him, and the little dog began the metamorphosis that Draco had described. For a few moments, they watched, as the ridges on the dogs back spiked up, the jaw line lengthened and took on an enlarged form that contained the dagger-sharp teeth of an ultimate predator. Remus stepped back to give Harry a clear field to work in.

All the noise of outside battle seemed to fade as Voldemort stepped into the center of the labyrinth. Several Death Eaters were flanking him, and these were immediately engaged in battle by those who had been nearest the center; Ron, Hermione, and Draco.

Harry ignored them, focusing on the monster who simply grinned at him from the reptilian features of his face.

"Harry Potter … thiss time you will not escape me." The voice was sibilant and soft, belying the threat and menace of the speaker.

"I don't intend to escape."

Voldemort stood there, cocking his head a little as he gazed with red eyes at his nemesis. "Then you will willingly die at my hand?"

Harry grinned, and Remus shivered at the light that shone out of the green eyes. The grin was not amiable and he had never seen the calculating gleam that was now fixed on Harry's face.

"You couldn't kill me when I was a baby, Tom. You couldn't kill me when you forced the Chamber of Secrets open and set the basilisk on me. You failed in the graveyard when you got this new, but arguably uglier, body. What makes you think that after all that and more, that I would simply lie down and die at your feet?"

Voldemort had growled at the use of his birth name, teeth bared in rictus. "You have spent too much time with the Potions Master you stole from me … you talk like him …"

Harry actually laughed at that. "Thanks, Tom. I'll let him know that you approve."

Now Voldemort chuckled, shaking his head. "You won't tell him anything because he no longer livess. My daemon destroyed him inside your own dream. How did you like that, by the way? I thought it was rather ingenious … sending a real daemon to your dreams … knowing that the imbecile headmaster would have to try and ssee it. I had hoped that he would go into the dream himself, but it appears that Severus was ever the lackey for him, as he wass for me."

Harry stiffened. "Severus was never your lackey. He was never anyone's servant."

"And yet, he allowed himself to be ssaddled with you. I'm ssure his death released him from a dull existence. It could not have been very entertaining to be the protector of the annoying Boy-who-lived-too-long. He would have made a better choice to remain beside me. He could have been great, at my sside."

"He _was_ great, and he never wanted to be by your side!" Harry stopped, breathing deeply. He realized with sudden clarity that Voldemort was trying to distract him. His defenses strengthened and he put his regrets about Severus aside. He drew himself straighter, canting his head to the fountain. "Would you like to see your handiwork, Tom? It's all ready for you."

Voldemort shook his head. "I am no imbecile, boy! When I put a plan into motion, I know it will work! I have no need to see _if_ it worked."

"Suit yourself. Your daemon is still there, you know. I would have thought you would want to keep hold of him, at least." Green eyes bored into red.

"He was not the only daemon at my disposal. His brothers do my bidding as well."

Harry grinned again, and from his place, Remus could see that Voldemort seethed with rage at the gesture. He knew little of Harry's plan, and a disquieting feeling told him that Harry was 'winging' it.

Voldemort raised the wand that had been lax at his side. "Have you an idea about how we can duel, then? I have a wish to get on with it, but we both know that we cannot use these brother wands."

Harry gave his own wand an appraising look and then nodded in agreement. "You are right, of course. We can't fight with these." He held the red gaze for a beat and then tossed his wand over beside the fountain.

Remus sucked in an alarmed gasp. He knew that the wands cancelled each other out, but Harry might need it later, if other Death Eater's got past the defense. Forcing himself to calm, he made himself remember that Harry could do anything wandless now. He didn't really need the wand at all, except for show.

The show seemed to be Voldemort's as he saw Harry throw his wand away. Instead of doing likewise, the man laughed and raised his own wand higher. "I had hoped you would act foolishly, but I did not believe that you would do it so quickly!"

The tip of Voldemort's wand began to glow as he lifted it towards Harry. "I really would like to prolong this amazing day, but at the same time, I am ready to end this dance that we have shared these many years. Without a wand, you are helplesss … did you really think that I would throw mine aside, just because you did? You credit me with an astounding amount of honor."

Harry's eyes grew bigger as he stared back at the madman. "But Tom, I'm not helpless at all." Harry lifted his own hands and a bright blue ball of light appeared between them.

Behind him, Remus felt his wolf trying to respond to the sight of the moon-bright orb. His eyes glowed solidly yellow now, but he remained in place, scanning the surrounding area and wary of anything indicating that Death Eaters were getting nearer. The Death Eaters that Ron, Draco, and Hermione had battled were now on the ground, tied with magical bonds. Draco levitated them away from the circle and then joined the other two in guarding the entrance to the labyrinth's heart.

Voldemort had stepped back in surprise at the sight of the ball in Harry's hands, but he masked it quickly. "Ssso … you want to play for a while? This is unexpected, but I am curious now to see what it is you think you can do against me without a weapon."

Harry smiled gently. "I do have a weapon, Tom, and it's the same as it's always been. It has always been something you would never understand."

Voldemort actually rolled his eyes at that. His tone was impatient as he answered, "If you go on about love being the greatest weapon, I'll kill you without further delay."

Harry raised his eyebrows in a Snape-like smirk. "Then I won't say it. It's enough to see that you recognize it." Harry slowly pulled his hands away from the ball and it drifted upwards just as slowly. All eyes were trained on the assent of the beautiful light when Harry made a motion of his wrist, so no one saw it. The ball drifted towards Voldemort, who watched with interest. As it got closer, he raised his wand and muttered a blasting curse. Instead of the sphere disappearing, it seemed to absorb the curse and suddenly intensified, zooming towards Voldemort. It shattered over him and the pieces were like a hot rain of fire as they fell over him. Voldemort hastily erected a shield, but a few of the pieces had already lighted on his robes and skin, scorching him in several places.

He shook with rage and hissed, "You dare attack me with juvenile magic tricks? Are you trying to anger me?"

Harry shook his head. "Just testing the waters. I think you'll find that it was more than a trick."

Voldemort regarded him silently for a long moment. "I grow weary of this. It ends now."

Lifting his own arms, he spoke a string of words that Harry didn't recognize. He glanced at Remus in question.

Remus tilted his head and then answered, "Greek, ancient Greek. He's invoking the daemons!"

Harry pulled the Elf Sphere out of his pocket. Holding it in his hands, he turned it, touching each rune briefly. He looked up when a strong wind blew through the hedges of the labyrinth. The shrubs and vines whipped wildly, eddies of whirlwinds sweeping spirals of petals and leaves into the air. Around Voldemort, two shadowy shapes began to coalesce. Once solid, they sat back on muscled haunches, glaring out at Harry.

Harry looked at them with interest. They were vaguely humanoid, but more beastlike than anything else. They were huge, heads and bodies of proportions that reminded Harry of the gorillas he had seen in the zoo, the one time he had ever been. One was a dark grey and the other was black. Their Foreheads were heavily browed, sharp horns erupting from a ridge down the centers. They sat waiting, looking up at Voldemort expectantly.

Voldemort leered at Harry, "Meet my newest acquisitions, Harry. Along with their brother who is with dear Severus, this is Moros and Ker, the daemons of doom and death."

Harry held the sphere in one hand and smirked at the two daemons. "I am quite certain that their mother would not like hearing them referred to as acquisitions."

Voldemort gave a snarl as he frowned at Harry. "And I am quite certain that I did not summon their mother, so her opinion is of no interest."

Harry raised the sphere in his hand, the rune symbols around it beginning to glow. "Nyx will not be pleased with your attitude, Tom."

Voldemort snorted. "I care not how she is pleased or displeased. The daemons are mine to control and she has no say in it."

Harry looked up at the Elf Sphere as it floated away from his hand. The pieces of the puzzle flew apart, each hovering in place for a moment before beginning to spin into a spiral. Faster and faster it spun, until it was a blur of motion.

Voldemort threw a curse at it, leaping aside when it was reflected back at him. The two daemons were whining softly, eyes fastened on the shape taking form in the spiral. A distinctly feminine shape began to shimmer darkly.

Harry stood in awe as Nyx made her presence known. In his dream she had been fearsome, but kind to him; in the end calling him her darkling human child, assuring him that she did not mean he was dark as in evil, but that she recognized that he had been made stronger by the darkness of the night she ruled. She had soothed him in his grief over Severus, promising to try to intervene before her child Thanatos killed him.

This Nyx was snarling, her face twisted into an ugly rage as she glared at Voldemort. She flew over him, her face within inches of his. Voldemort thrust his wand at her, yelling out, "_Avada Kedavra_!"

The green light from the curse was absorbed, but even more than that, they could see her make a deep inhaling motion as the curse hit her. The green light from Voldemort's wand continued to flow out and be lost into the dark void of Nyx's form. Voldemort gave the wand several shakes, as if trying to stop the connection between the wand and the curse he had flung.

Her voice was thunderous when she spoke. "You, you are a most detestable human! You dare to wake the ancient daemons and summon them into your service, as if you are a god!"

Voldemort screamed back at her, "I _am_ a god! I am Lord Voldemort and there has never been one such as me! Everyone fears me and I will rule all!"

Nyx laughed and Harry struggled not to put his hands over his ears at the sound. In his peripheral vision, he could see that his friends had no such restraint, and they clutched their hands to their heads, even as they kept tight grips on their wands, staring at the scene before them in fascination.

Nyx leaned even closer to Voldemort and Harry smirked to see him take a step back from her. "My child Harry told me of your insolence, of your self-appointed posturings. I had hoped that my darkling child was exaggerating." She glanced over at Harry, offering him a brief smile filled with beauty. It was fleeting, and when she turned back to Voldemort, her face was enraged again. "I see now that he was telling me the truth. You are an evil human, Tom Riddle."

"I am Lord Voldemort! I alone found the power to summon demons to my side! I control them! They will kill anyone who does not bow to me!"

"You will not control my children! They were weak to follow your call, but they will return to our realm with me!"

Voldemort shook with his own rage. "How dare you! You are an ancient hag who has no real power in this time! The demons have only what power I give to them to wield."

Nyx laughed again. "What a fool you are, Tom Riddle. How is it that the other humans have suffered your existence thus far?" She looked at Harry, who shook his head at her. She kept eye contact with him for a brief time and then turned back to Voldemort. "You believe yourself to be invincible? You have managed to amass quite an army to do your bidding … you might have succeeded, if you had not become too bold in your quest for power."

"I _have_ succeeded! Once I destroy the boy, I will have all I need to take over the entire wizarding world. It will be mine and then I will conquer and eradicate any human unworthy to live."

Nyx moaned loudly at his words, as if they pained her greatly. Before she could respond, everyone's attention was captured by shapes emerging from Dumbledore's Penseive. Harry automatically started forward, but was restrained by Remus. Two bodies emerged, one a daemon identical to the other two who sat beside Voldemort, and another that Harry had hoped was Severus, but he knew immediately that it was not. This was another female, but where Nyx was all shades of darkness, this one was as if light shone from within her.

Wordlessly, this one moved among the daemons, touching them, caressing their heads and shoulders as she passed. Then taking a place behind Nyx, she looked out at Harry and smiled. Harry felt that everything would be alright then. His heart was no longer afraid. He knew that this was Elpis, Nyx's daughter, her only child of light, a daemona or spirit of hope.

The three dark brother daemons left Voldemort's side and went to sit beside their sister. Voldemort raged at their abandoning him and threw another _Avada __Kedavra_at Nyx. Again, the stream of green light was absorbed by her darkness as she inhaled it.

Voldemort turned towards Harry, throwing a Cruciatus at him. Harry easily deflected it with his hand and Voldemort looked astonished. "Wandless, then? A secret you kept well, boy. But perhaps there are other secrets that you would not want known …"

Harry knew that Voldemort was talking about all the weaknesses that Harry had tried to overcome, weaknesses brought about by the tortures he had endured; tortures he had shared with no one but Severus, Remus, and reluctantly to Dumbledore.

He lifted a shaking hand, pointing a finger at Voldemort. "You shut up about that. You have no right to tell …"

Voldemort laughed, seeming to forget about the goddess that stood over him, flanked by her daemon offspring.

Harry felt a chill set into his bones. Voldemort was going to tell … Just as quickly, the chill became a fire that raced along his nerve endings, burning him with the rage he had saved up for this moment.

A hot wind began to stir through the labyrinth, sweeping over the heads of those who were in it, coming to rest in the center. Harry's eyes blazed with a fury born of all the tears he had shed, all the pain he had borne. His chest was heaving with deep breaths as he looked from Voldemort to Nyx.

The dark goddess smiled gently at him. "He is weak at this moment, Darkling. Destroy him and fulfill your destiny. He will no longer be able to hurt you or anyone again once it is done."

Voldemort heard her words and snarled in rage as he cast a volley of spells and curses at everyone standing nearby. Harry saw his friends fall to the ground, even as he cast a protective shield. Hermione was screaming and grasping Ron by his robes; Draco was trying to rise, his wand shaking in his hand.

Remus struggled to his feet, and Harry saw blood gushing from his side where he held a hand pressed to it.

The heat inside of Harry had to be released or consume him. He had sworn that no one else would ever be hurt. It was time for it to end. Raising his hands, he held them steady, palms outstretched to the Dark Lord.

Voldemort must have seen the truth in Harry's eyes, for he made a slight tilting motion with his head, as if to question whether or not Harry would actually dare to cast a killing curse at him. "You can't do it, boy … it's not in you to do it," he mocked.

The blazing green of Harry's eyes intensified as he summoned up all the burning rage and hurt and humiliation, and feelings of loneliness that he had ever felt. Remus gave a warning shout, just as a great ball of lightening left Harry's hands, accompanied by a deafening roll of thunder.

The shock waves flattened the hedges of the labyrinth, leaving decimated foliage in its wake. Small fires burned amidst the wreckage of branches, vines, leaves, and flowers.

Harry fell to his knees, eyes closed tightly. Nausea rolled through him and he leaned forward to rest his head on the grass. But the grass was no longer soothingly cool, instead scorched and hot, so he put his head on his knees instead.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked out of dilated eyes to see Remus crawling up beside him. He leaned on the werewolf, closing his eyes in relief and exhaustion.

Hearing the rustle of robes and running footsteps, they looked up to see Dumbledore and McGonagall looking at the surrounding devastation. Harry noted that both were wounded and scorched, but appeared otherwise unhurt.

Soft crying had him turning his attention to his friends. Hermione was on her knees, leaning over Ron. Draco had his hand on her shoulder as he looked at Harry.

Harry tried to ask, but didn't think he was ready or willing to know what the look in Draco's eyes meant. He followed Draco's line of sight when the blond looked elsewhere, his grey eyes widening.

The fountain was shattered, fragments scattered all over. Beside it, Dumbledore was now bent over the remains of the real Penseive.

A strangled cry tore its way up and out of Harry's throat as he crawled quickly to where Dumbledore was hunched over in the grass. Silvery wisps of Harry's dream were slowly being absorbed into the burnt grass. Harry clutched at it with shaking hands, pulling up handfuls of grass as he tried to capture the filaments before they disappeared. It was gone.

His throat felt raw and his heart beat wildly in his chest. Severus was gone. Now there was no hope of him getting back. Soft voices whispered in his ear as he fell to his side and curled in on himself. The voices told him to rest, to sleep; his duty was done.

The last conscious thought that Harry had was that he hoped that he was now going to wherever Severus, Sirius, and his mum and dad were waiting.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

_A/N: Well, guys…this is about it. One more chapter ought to get it done. I have been angsting over the battle itself, and the ending, so I apologize for the wait. I just have a few notes about some details…_

…_I know canon Pepper Up Potion was not meant to be used in the way it was used here. It worked here because I meant for it to. Some things needed to have simple solutions, and this was a potion that could be easily brewed and distributed._

…_I am not a Greek scholar. I am fascinated by mythology of all cultures, but I am no expert. I took bits and pieces and used them to my own ends here. Since this is fiction, I supposed that I was allowed to do this. The names of the goddess Nyx and her offspring are all in the literature. Their actual abilities or traits may not be entirely accurate._

…_I know that I did not mention any of the other regular Order members. I did not intend to. They were there, just not central to the story, so their names were omitted._

_Thank you for sticking with me to the end! I have only one request and it sounds a little selfish…I would really love to have 1000 reviews for this story. It's getting close to that, but if you have been reading and not reviewing, please consider just a word or two! Make an aspiring writer do the happy dance when I see my alerts! _

_I have more ideas in the works and my terrific beta __**logicalquirk**__ appears to be willing to keep working with me! Yea!_

_And of course…the Harry Potter world is not mine…I own nothing and take credit for only my ideas and the putting together of this AU fic. JKR is the brilliant one and the rich one. I am a poor teaching assistant with three kids, a husband, two dogs, an incontinent cat, and a turtle. The house needs painting and I mow my own yard. If I had money, I wouldn't even dream of doing it myself!_


	49. Chapter 49

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 49

Voices echoed but Harry couldn't make out the words spoken. Everything was dark and he struggled to open his eyes. His arms felt impossibly heavy when he tried to move and he succumbed to the exhaustion, slipping back into oblivion, wondering what the voices were saying…

Remus sat beside Harry's bed, holding the boy's thin hand. He had refused to leave the chair once Madam Pomfrey had sealed his wounds and given him blood replenishers. Harry had been unconscious for a week now, and the mediwitch was encouraging them to think about sending Harry to St. Mungo's.

"I get no readings on his magic at all. It's as if a Muggle were laying in that bed. I have been giving him nutritional supplements, but he needs more than that. If his magical core is gone, I can't fix that. I don't know if anyone can." She wrung her hands as she stood on the other side of the bed, addressing Remus, Albus, and Minerva.

Dumbledore conjured up another chair and sank down in it beside Remus. The headmaster looked older than he ever had, in spite of the victory that had been won. The price had been almost too high to bear. Severus was gone. Ron Weasley was gone, along with two other seventh years, a sixth year, and three Aurors. Fortunately, the wounded were healing well. Arthur and Molly Weasley had taken Hermione and Ginny home to the Burrow, where both girls remained in emotional shock. Hermione, especially, was despondent over Ron, and Molly spent many hours plying her with tea and Calming Draughts, and cathartic crying.

Voldemort had perished, and any Death Eater who had been standing when the concussion of Harry's hot magic blasted through the labyrinth had died along with him. All the survivors had been sent straight to Azkaban.

Jack had ended the life of at least one Death Eater, and the little dog was found barely alive under some fallen branches close to the center of the blast. Hagrid was nursing him back to health, and Fang was proving to have great mothering instincts as he curled his large form protectively around the tiny dog.

Remus had described Nyx and her daemon offspring to Albus, but they had disappeared with the blast and no one knew what had happened to them.

Harry had been initially conscious, but had fallen into this coma after trying in vain to capture the silver strands of dream memory as they soaked into blackened grass. Remus had carried him to the infirmary himself. The boy looked aged beyond all possibility. His face was drawn and pale, frown lines etched into his forehead, even in his unconscious state. It was as if life had been drained along with his magic when he succeeded in destroying Voldemort. It was as if all will to live had left with the seeping of his memory and Severus into the ground.

Remus raised the pale hand to his lips, clasping it between his own hands. "Come on, Harry. You are all I have left. We can go wherever you want to go. It doesn't matter if you have magic or not … we'll have an adventure just being Muggles …" He tilted his head and put Harry's hand into his hair, closing the cool fingers in his greyed strands. "I'm here with you. I won't leave you … Don't you leave me …"

ooooooooo

A mix of light and dark mists rolled around him as Harry slowly became aware of his surroundings. He was lying on his side, curled up, arms around his knees. Listening, he heard the sound of distant chimes. They were like the wind chimes he sometimes heard from a neighbor's backyard when he did gardening in the summers. As he listened, they became clearer and nearer.

Sitting up, he tried to peer through the mists. Nyx appeared and smiled down at him, extending her hand. Right behind her, Elpis smiled, too. Harry let her help him stand as she began to speak.

"My Darkling human. You did well with the task that had been given you. The one who claimed an unlawful lordship is dead."

Harry smiled briefly and then remembered the memory being lost, and Severus along with it. Nyx seemed to know what he was feeling when she saw the frown.

"Your guardian still lives, Darkling. However, he is caught in between realms. You must wake up now so that you may go for him."

Harry gave a deep sigh. "Does he know …"

"He is not aware of his place yet, but I am sending Elpis to his own dreams. She will guide him as I guide you. Your magic will have to heal, as will his."

"Then how can I get to him?" Harry's voice and face were forlorn. Nyx reached out her hand to caress his cheek and Harry tilted his head into the touch.

"Look." Nyx pointed at a shape emerging from the mists. The large grey wolf loped up to Harry and gave the boy a lick on the hand.

Harry knelt down, burying his face and hands in the wolf's furry neck. His voice was hoarse as he cried into the warmth, "Remus! You're okay!"

Nyx caressed the wolf with the same gentle strokes that she had given Harry. "This part-human is devoted to you … as much as your Severus is … but it is a different love that he has for you …"

Harry raised his face to her. "He was a friend of my parents and my godfather. What we share is different, but I don't know how to describe it."

Nyx nodded knowingly. "It is a brother love, then. Your bond comes from common love shared by family. Your bond with Severus stems from the mind and has grown into a love of the heart and soul. Both are important, Darkling." She stroked the wolf and the canine gazed at her with deep yellow eyes. "This brother will help you find Severus. When the two of you are together, you will be able to heal each other, and both of your magic's will be healed."

Harry sank down and the wolf laid beside him, his head on Harry's thigh. When Harry spoke again he was quiet and resigned. "If I don't go, Severus will be lost."

Nyx frowned deeply. "Darkling … you would wish to cross over and leave your earth life?"

"For a long time I have wanted it all to be over … so I could die … and maybe have peace …"

Now Nyx moved closer to Harry and raised his chin with a gentle hand. "Oh! I see that it has been a painful existence for you. There has been so much for you to bear to get to your destiny. You have earned an earthly peace. I cannot promise that there will never be troubles, but I know that the fates will be kinder to you now that you have rid the world of the latest evil."

Harry looked at her for a long moment. "There were other deaths, weren't there?"

"Yes. There were other losses that I could not stop. The evil human acted thoughtlessly and his blackness of heart took the life of several. I am sorry that I could not change that. My protections were for you."

Harry nodded. "I remember seeing Ron on the ground. Hermione and Draco were over him and she was crying. He's gone, isn't he?"

"Your friends stood beside you bravely and they fought well. Your friend with the hair of fire stepped in front of the others when curses began to fly from the foolish one."

Even though Harry felt deep sorrow over Ron's death, he couldn't help feeling gratified by Nyx's words about his bravery, and glad about how she so easily called Voldemort evil, unlawful, foolish. Voldemort was truly gone. He could be just Harry now. He could find Severus and then he could be with him and Remus. Right now, he would be happy, even if he was never able to do another spell as long as he lived.

Nyx turned to her daughter. "Go now, go to the guardian of your Darkling brother. He will be resistant and he will not understand. Be persistent, Elpis. He needs you to guide him into a dream and back into this corporeal realm. Harry and his wolf-human will find him." She turned to Harry. "After that, it will be up to you to complete the healing. Do you understand, Darkling?"

Harry nodded and tightened his grip in the fur of the wolf as Nyx bent to kiss his forehead. For an instant, Harry felt a surge of heat through his scar, but it wasn't the pain he always associated with Voldemort, but rather a warmth fed by a motherly love.

She began to fade into the darker parts of the mist and Elpis smiled at them as she too began to fade into the lighted mists.

Her voice was an echo as she disappeared completely. "Wake now, Darkling. It is time to get on with your living."

oooooooooo

Harry opened his eyes, wincing in the light, tried to bring his hand up to shield himself from the glare. His hand was in the grip of someone, and he turned his head to blink at Remus. The man was just waking up, lifting his head from where it had been resting on the bed beside Harry. He saw that Harry was awake and he surged to his feet, shouting.

"Poppy! Albus! He's awake!" Then he knelt back down beside the bed and smoothed the hair back from Harry's face. "Harry …" He stopped, his emotions getting too large for words. Instead, he grasped Harry's hand again and raised it back to his lips. "I knew you'd find your way back … I was just dreaming that I was with you in a wolf form."

"You were," Harry smiled weakly at him. "Nyx came and told me what I have to do to get Severus back. Elpis is going to guide him." He stopped, swallowing against the dryness of his throat.

Pomfrey, Dumbledore and McGonagall came hurrying in and the mediwitch immediately began waving her wand over Harry. Remus conjured a glass of water, and at Pomfrey's nod held it to Harry's lips, helping him raise his head to sip, his face worried at Harry's mention of Severus.

Madame Pomfrey sighed in relief, but her face was still worried when she spoke. "Welcome back, Mr. Potter. I really believed you to be beyond reach, but once again you have proven my diagnosis wrong." She smiled then. "I should have learned long ago not to make predictions about your health."

Remus caught the "but" in her expression and pressed, "What did you find just now?"

"Mr. Potter – Harry," she started, her voice soft.

"My magic is gone, "Harry stated easily.

"Yes," she agreed with surprise. "How did you know?"

"Nyx told me. But I could tell, without trying to do anything. I feel – empty."

Professor Dumbledore slowly knelt down onto his knees on the other side of the bed. He laid a gnarled hand on Harry's arm. "Did she tell you about the outcome of the battle?"

"Yes. Voldemort is dead." His face clouded. "And so is Ron."

They all looked at other points in the room as Dumbledore nodded sadly in agreement. Harry's eyes filled with tears and he turned over on his side, pressing his face into the pillow. "Do they all hate me?"

Remus smoothed his hand over Harry's shoulder soothingly. "Who could hate you, Harry? You destroyed Voldemort! You have freed the world from a great darkness."

"The Weasleys … Hermione … they must feel some kind of — _anger_ at me – for getting Ron killed." His voice was muffled in the bed-clothes and Remus felt his body shake with a sob.

Remus sat on the edge of the bed and unceremoniously pulled Harry up into a crushing hug. Harry fisted the man's shirt in his hands, unable to halt the grief for his best friend, once it had started. "You did _not_ get Ron killed! Voldemort killed him! The madman was hurling curses all over the place. Ron had stepped in front of Hermione and Draco to shield them when he got hit." He gave Harry a little shake as he held him. "It hurts, but it's as simple as that. You did _not_ kill him. You did not _get_ him killed. Ron chose to be there and _Voldemort_ did the killing."

The others in the room quietly stepped away, but not out of the room. After several minutes, Harry sat back and swiped at his eyes with his sleeve. Remus continued to rub gentle circles on his back and he added softly, "No one blames you, Harry."

Harry stared into space for a long time before he finally looked up at Remus and nodded. Madame Pomfrey came close again, and continued with her diagnostic scans, waving her wand over Harry discretely.

"The first thing is to get some real food into you," she began. "After that, we'll try some strengthening potions. I'm uncertain how you will respond to them with the condition your magic is in."

Harry took a deep calming breath and looked at them all. "My magic will come back, once I find Severus."

The silence in the room at his words lasted for about half a minute while everyone processed what Harry had said. Then, the verbal chaos made it seem as if far more than just five people were in the room. Everyone was talking at once, no one really listening to the others. Harry just sat there until Dumbledore held up his hands and firmly called, "Silence!"

Once it was quiet again, he bent down and his blue eyes were grave as he peered at Harry. "My boy, Severus cannot be found now. The contents of the Penseive were lost when it was shattered."

Harry kept his own eyes locked with the headmaster. "He is still alive. His magic is gone, too, but we will be able to heal each other when I find him."

Dumbledore laid his hand on Harry's head. "I would like nothing more than to believe that. But it's not possible."

Harry shook his head. "It is possible, sir. Nyx will guide me to him. Elpis is guiding Severus. It's the last bit of help they can give me." His green eyes were wide and sorrow filled. "They can't bring Ron back, but they can guide us back together. Nyx said that our mind bond has grown into a heart and soul bond." He looked over at Remus. "She said that you will be able to help me. We are brother bonded and she knows that you'll protect me. Remember? You dreamed that you were there in your wolf form?"

Remus tilted his head at Harry quizzically, and then his expression cleared. "Yes. I was there." He embraced Harry again. "I remember now." He looked at Albus. "I will get Harry to Severus."

McGonagall shook her head. "I don't understand. If Severus was in the Penseive and the Penseive is gone, how will that be possible?"

Harry shook his own head. "Nyx said it was possible. Somehow, we'll know what to do."

He slumped tiredly back onto the pillows and Pomfrey remembered that he needed food, potions and rest. She shooed everyone back from the bed and a tray appeared over it, floating down to rest on Harry's knees. Remus hurried back over to help him sit up against the pillows.

Harry looked at the food, not really wanting it, but knowing he had to appease the mediwitch. The stares of everyone made him self-conscious and finally, Pomfrey made them all leave, with a promise to Remus that he could return after he had tended to his own needs for food and rest in a real bed.

Harry sighed with relief at being left in the quiet solitude of the infirmary. His mind was whirling with all that he had heard and felt in the last hour. Voldemort was dead. Ron was dead. Severus was alive, but not here, and not where he knew he could easily reach him. He now had a heart and soul bond with the man. He had a brother bond with Remus.

He had no magical abilities.

That was the strangest feeling of all. The other feelings were distressing, and grieving, and relieving all at once. But the inability to feel his magic left him feeling defenseless and exposed. It was a huge loss to go from all that power down to nothing, to be less than a squib, but more than a Muggle. He supposed that there must be flicker of magic in him somewhere, else he wouldn't be able to see the surrounding walls of the infirmary of Hogwarts. That thought gave him a little comfort.

He dropped the spoon back into the bowl of thin soup, fatigue washing over him like a heavy blanket. He shoved the tray off his knees and it hovered at the side of the bed. Scooting himself down, he was barely aware when Pomfrey plied him with several potions before pulling the covers up over his shoulders and turning down the light.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

His throat felt like he would never draw another normal breath through it. It took everything in him to remain still, to keep from drawing unwanted attention to himself before he knew what the situation was, where he was, who had put him in this condition. Keeping his eyes closed, Severus focused his breathing, concentrating on the last thing he could remember … he had been in the Penseive ... Remus was with him … they were reviewing Harry's dream-vision … something had rushed out of the foggy surroundings and attacked them … had Remus been incapacitated as well? How had that even been possible? Observers in the Penseive were normally supposed to be invisible … unnoticed. But Harry's dreams had never been anything normal.

His breathing had slowed down and he finally felt as though he was getting enough oxygen for clearer thinking. His throat still hurt, and he could now feel that the outside of his neck must be bruised, further inhibiting his ability to breathe.

Letting his eyes open to bare slits, he surveyed what he could see. He recognized the solid whiteness of the mists from Harry's dreams. From this vantage point, he could see nothing else. His fingers slowly felt at his side for his wand, and he was grateful to feel the smooth wood when he moved his hand towards his side. Closing his fingers on the thin instrument, he felt a measure of determination replace the dread that had been filling him.

So focused was he on the cataloguing of his body's condition, he reacted with instinctive speed when fingers brushed his face. In an instant, he was on his feet, wand raised, defensive spells ready on his lips.

A young woman of iridescent beauty drifted in front of him, her smile unafraid, her hands held out to him, palms up and empty of any weapon. She spoke to him in a soft voice that was almost hypnotic in its gentleness.

"Severus, be at ease. All is well."

He narrowed his eyes at her, maintaining his stance of readiness. "Who are you? Where is Lupin?"

He drew back as she drew nearer, but she touched him gently on the arm, unflinching at his hiss. "Your friend is safe. My brother Harry is safe. He has defeated the one who set my daemon brother upon you."

Severus shifted his feet, steadying himself from the shock of hearing that Voldemort had been defeated. "The Dark Lord is dead? Well and truly?"

The woman frowned slightly. "He was no Lord. He was evil and foolish. His arrogance was his undoing, just as my mother said it would be."

Severus grew irritated at the confusing words … daemon brother … brother Harry … mother …" Who is your mother, and what does she have to do with Harry?"

"My mother is Nyx. My brothers are the daemons that your erstwhile lord summoned to do his bidding. My mother was quite angry with them for letting a foolish human call them to his side. She has them back under control now, so they cannot hurt you again."

Severus let his baffled brain process what the woman was saying. He had been injured inside of a Penseived dream. That should not have been possible. But it had happened. What did that mean? Could he simply pull himself out of the Penseive and be free of this place?

"You are saying that a daemon attacked me inside of the Penseive … where am I now then?"

The woman looked saddened now. "You are still inside the dream-vision that haunted my darkling brother. But the vessel was destroyed when the foolish one was destroyed. The dream itself was lost, absorbed by the earth."

Severus went cold, and for the first time his wand tip sank from pointing steadily at the woman. "If that is so, then how am I still here? Why was I not thrown out of the dream before that happened?"

She drifted closer again and laid an ephemeral hand on his arm. "You are in between realms. You are caught between the dream that was and the dream you will make for yourself. I have found a vessel that was once used by the gods when my mother helped rule the humans. We will place your dream there."

He stared at her, his usual blank mask warring with the emotions of disbelief, hope, and despair. If he was caught in this place, it was possible that he would never escape. It was possible that Voldemort had succeeded in separating him from the rest of humanity. This could be a new method of torture for all he knew. He could be strung up in a dungeon while the Dark Lord poured these visions of hopelessness into his mind. He might not be dead at all … he might just want Severus to have that counterbalance so he would continuously waver between hope and despair.

He had never heard of recovering a dream once it had been lost … he had never heard of anyone actually being lost inside the Penseive, either. But Penseives were exceedingly rare in any case. The thought that Dumbledore's own Penseive had been destroyed was very troubling. How often had he used it to show Dumbledore his own memories of the Dark Lord's plans? How often had he used it to remove painful memories, to obtain temporary relief from especially potent nightmares? He had never heard of any other Penseives to be in existence anywhere near Great Britain. How would he get back to Harry?

His eyes snapped to the woman and raised his wand at her again, his protector instincts coming to the fore. He was forgetting the most important person in his life. "Where is Harry? What has happened to him in all this? Who are you and why are you doing this?"

"I am Elpis, daughter of Nyx, goddess of the night. I told you … my brother is safe. He has awoken from his sleep and the part-human is watching over him. His magic is dormant, as is yours, but once you are reunited, that will be dealt with."

"What do you mean, dormant?" Severus's voice was deadly quiet. He never lowered his wand.

Elpis gave a graceful shrug. "I mean that your magic no longer works. The instrument you hold in your hand is useless. You may as well conserve what strength you possess and lower your arm."

Severus replied by shifting his wand a fraction to the right and firing off a hex. In spite of her warning, he was shocked when absolutely nothing happened. Drawing up his energies, he tried to summon his Patronus. Nothing. The cold sensation that had swept through him earlier did so again, his stomach plummeting.

Years of hiding his emotional state came into play and he drew himself up to his full height, hands clenched at his side. He maintained a carefully blank expression as he asked, "You are calling Harry your brother. I recall no sister. Explain, if you will?"

"My mother determined that Harry was worthy of her adoption when she found that his power cycled with the darkest phase of the moon … he is strongest during the deepest night that she ruled in her time here. When she discovered that my daemon brothers had been summoned and were being ill-used by a human, she was ready to simply call them away and back to our own sleeping. But then Harry was seeking help in getting you back, and help in destroying the evil human. It was decided that my mother Nyx would be able to grant a measure of extra power to Harry and aid him in his quest. An elf had already given him an artifact that had elf magic. The elves are not far removed from the elves we had in our own earth-time. Nyx adopted Harry as her son, and gave her own magic to the elfish weapon. All of Harry's power was multiplied when he used it. He succeeded in destroying the evil. But part of the price was the vessel where you had gone into Harry's dream-vision."

Severus took a deep breath as he heard the last part of Elpis's explanation. "You say there is a way out of here? Where is the Penseive that you have found?"

Elpis shook her head, "It is not a Penseive as you have become accustomed to. I will send you by a dream into the mind of a person who could be an oracle, if they had been born in an earlier time, or with more magic now. This human is studying the ways of the ancients and he has only a small amount of magic. He will understand what he must do and he will not be frightened when you emerge from the vessel. Perhaps he will give you aid until my brother finds you."

Severus listened carefully as Elpis explained how he was to make a dream of himself, then somehow, she would get this dream into the vessel. The oracle would come into the dream within the vessel. Severus would then be able to withdraw from the vessel, as if it were a Penseive.

It sounded reasonable and bizarre by turns, but Severus realized that this might be the only chance he had to return to his real life and to Harry. He suddenly felt drained by all of this and he found himself sitting down on the ground, hard. Elpis floated about him, her presence more calming than he would have thought it could be. After all, she was basically telling him that he did not exist outside of this place that was filled with nothingness.

He had to lay his head on his drawn up knees, grasping them in a very uncharacteristic display of nerves. In a hoarse voice, he said, "Tell me about the battle, about Harry. You are certain he is safe?"

Elpis nodded. "He is without his magic, as you are. He is weak from the energy that he had to spend in destroying the evil human. He is resting at the castle where you were when you entered the dream-vision. He is grieving for his friend—"

"What friend?" Severus looked up at her sharply.

"During the final moments, many awful curses were being cast by the evil human. One of the friends of my brother stepped in front of the other friends to shield them. He was killed before my mother could intervene and she could not bring back what had been taken."

Severus shivered and gripped his knees tighter. "_Which friend_?"

"The friend with hair of fire."

Severus closed his eyes in relief and immediately felt guilty. It hadn't been Draco, then, but a Weasley. Which one? Any and all of them could have been fighting in the final battle. Most likely, it would have been Ron, though. He would have been one of the ones who would have insisted on being right at Harry's side. But that would be a hard loss for Harry. It would also be a hard loss for Hermione Granger. Harry would probably be blaming himself for the death, feeling like he should have somehow prevented it.

Harry needed him and he was stuck here in this place. He had to get out. He had to get back to him.

Looking at Elpis, he stood up. "Let's get on with it. He needs me."

_A/N: One more chapter to go! I plan to get it posted tonight! R and R please, please, please! The pot of Darjeeling is on and a tray of Snickerdoodles is now making the celebratory rounds!_


	50. Chapter 50

**Primoris Oraculum Duo (First Prophecy Two)**

Chapter 50

Harry slowly forced himself to the brink of vomiting, eating everything that Pomfrey had put before him, determined to get his strength back as quickly as possible. He had tried to talk her into giving him strengthening potions, but the mediwitch was as determined as Harry that his strength would be real and solid and not artificially induced. Now, here he was eating, but not tasting, mindlessly chewing the bites so that he could swallow without choking, concentrating on keeping the food down.

Remus had been prowling the borders of the room, unable to stop the jitteriness that always came in the days before unprotected transformation. It was two days before the full moon. Draco had been trying to get the Wolfsbane Potion done correctly, but Remus could take a single sniff and know it wasn't right. The blond Slytherin was supremely upset that Severus's notes on the potion did not include the improvements that he had made. At best, any notations were cryptic, and Draco could see that the master had been guarding his successes with the potion. In his increasing aggressiveness, Remus was unwilling to settle for less than what Severus had given him. Even Harry had been unable to talk him into accepting what Draco brewed as better than nothing.

Jack had been lying on the end of Harry's bed. His eyes watched the werewolf warily. One pass by the bed brought Remus closer to the bed and Jack growled in warning. Remus whipped around and growled back, eyes yellow. The little dog was instantly standing, hackles rising, teeth lengthening. Harry reached out for him, even as Remus seemed to realize his mistake. He had realized that the dog had every protective instinct fine-tuned to Harry. In spite of what would have been a very one-way confrontation with a werewolf, Jack would gladly give his all to be a shield between Harry and any perceived danger. The man looked mortified at his loss of control, and with a whispered apology, he fled the infirmary.

Harry sighed in relief as Jack reverted to his normal appearance and turned a few circles before laying back down on Harry's feet.

Madam Pomfrey hurried in, hearing the door slamming in Remus's wake. At her questioning look, Harry replied, "Remus isn't doing so well. He still won't agree to take whatever adequate version of Wolfsbane Draco makes."

She shook her head as she straightened the sheets of Harry's bed. As she removed the tray of empty dishes, she lamented, "He may well have to get used to inferior products. Severus was the only one to ever brew a perfect Wolfsbane, even before he had begun to make improvements."

Harry frowned. "I could have done it. I helped Severus at the villa. If I were strong enough yet, I could be helping get it brewed."

She clicked her tongue at him. "You know you need magic to make it turn out right. Even if you weren't still as weak as a kitten, the lack of magic would prevent you." She gazed down at his saddened face and added, "If you want to see the positive aspect, you have a few more days to regain your physical strength. It will take him at least two days to recover from a transformation without potion."

Harry just nodded before scooting down in the bed to pull the blanket up over his shoulders.

As Remus stormed through the corridors, he was able to calm himself enough to finally realize that Harry was the one who might suffer the most, if he insisted on going through his transformation without aid. His recovery would take longer, and they would have to delay leaving on their search for Severus even longer. He had seen how hard Harry was working to get his strength back. He could feel the anxiety in his cub-child, the worry for Severus overshadowing everything else. With a pang of guilt, he also realized how cruel he had been to Draco, to continue to reject the young man's attempts at brewing a sufficient Wolfsbane Potion. Truthfully, the vials that Draco had presented to him had been perfect in every way, according to textbook recipe. It was Remus's own stupidity that he had been insisting on a version only Severus was capable of.

Severus was not here. Harry was depending on him to get them to wherever Nyx guided them. With a heavy sigh, he headed towards the dungeons, determined to make amends to the Slytherin and accept the potion that he had so carefully concocted.

OoOoOoOoOoO

The man had always been a loner, someone who was hard to get to know, someone that could never be called more than an acquaintance by anyone who knew his name. Going into the field of archeology was a natural for him. The old cultures fascinated him, giving him their secrets as he carefully and lovingly dusted away centuries, sometimes millennia, of shrouding dirt. They didn't try to carry on conversations with him like the bumbling interns who annoyed him while attempting to be the one who discovered the best secrets. He ignored them for the most part, unless they made horrendous errors in judgment, being careless in their excitement, damaging sacred and priceless artifacts.

He was sure that was the circumstance that was currently causing him a headache. The day before, he had carefully placed the ancient vessel inside a crate, buffering it with cotton batting. He knew that he had found something of value when he had unearthed it. Daylight had been fading when he had finally freed it from the cement-like dirt that had covered it for the last two thousand years. His eyes were gritty and he was afraid that he would damage it if he tried to clean it further before he had rested and calmed himself over the discovery. He had locked it away, safe from harm, he had thought.

He had slept in his canvas tent, the crate away from the entrance so that it wouldn't be stumbled over. He had slept as he hadn't in a long time, deeply, and with haunting dreams. As a child he had had dreams like this, but they had stopped when he got old enough to seek out a doctor who was willing to prescribe sleeping pills. Now, as he awoke, he saw light shimmering out of the crate from between the slats. Someone had gotten in and poured water into the vessel. That's all it could be, for it looked like the reflections one saw when light reflected off the surface of water.

Anger filled him. Which one of those idiots had dared to enter his private tent and desecrate a piece that he had obviously taken care to remove from the dig site for safe-keeping? He pulled on his shirt and pants with quick angry motions, in a hurry to storm out to the barrack tents and demand the head of the imbecile.

As he dressed, the reflected light brightened, catching his attention. Sudden realization stilled his hands; there was not a light inside the box. The lock was still in place on the hasp. No one could have put water in the vessel … and yet, light was coming from inside.

Forbidden thoughts rushed into his mind … forbidden because he had long ago pledged to search and care for artifacts, regardless of their possible value … and here he was, allowing himself to wonder if what he had found _was_ even more special than he had ever imagined. Was it some kind of ancient magic that might only be dreamed about?

When he had been younger, he had sometimes imagined that he could do magic; he had even convinced himself sometimes that he had done magic when something unexpected happened around him. When he was older, the belief and the dreams had died quietly, and the lure of discovering the wonders of old cultures and civilizations had taken over.

Maybe this was still a dream. He was just plain old ordinary Edward McGonagall, an archeologist. Even though he might wish it, nothing remotely exciting ever happened to him.

Still, he looked at the glowing crate; what if something had finally happened? Something wonderful, or at least not as mundane as usual?

He knelt beside the crate and fished the key out of shirt pocket. Unlocking the padlock, he laid it on the camp bed. His eyes squinted as he raised the crate lid and the silvery light grew even brighter. After a few moments, he was able to look at the swirling contents of the old vessel. It wasn't water after all, but looked more like quicksilver. It slowly rotated inside the vessel, as if an unseen hand was stirring it. Lit from within, the silvery reflection bounced around the inside of the tent.

Edward leaned closer to examine it, unwilling to touch it just yet. As he peered into the silver, some of it became transparent and he could see movement below the surface. A woman's face smiled up at him and he recognized her from the dreaming he had done the previous night. He leaned closer. It was part of his dream then. Probably due to a fear of his discovery being stolen from him.

He reached out a finger and gently touched the surface. Slender white hands reached up from the other side and he felt himself tugged closer. He tried to jerk back in alarm, but was already falling into the crate and the vessel. Expecting to feel the crash of splintering wood and broken pottery, he closed his eyes.

He landed alright, but not how he had guessed he would. He was laying on the ground when he opened his eyes, but the tent and its contents were gone. Instead, he looked up to see the woman from his dreams. She was still smiling gently at him and he shook his head in confusion.

"Welcome, Edward McGonagall," she said simply.

Before he could voice a question or reply a sharp voice came from behind him and he twisted around to see who it was. "McGonagall?! Is he …"

The man was dressed completely in black, something Edward would never have done, if only for the reason that he would roast in the sun while he was working. This man was tall, thin, and looked quite angry.

The woman drifted over to the irate man looking as if she sought to soothe him. "He has only a little magic, enough to see through to your realm."

"If he is from Minerva's family, he could be quite strong." The man was glaring at him with black eyes.

Edward narrowed his eyes in thought. Minerva? Wasn't that a spinster cousin that he seldom saw? Why on earth would he dream of her?

The woman drifted back to him now, and laid a hand on his arm, soothing him as she had the dark man. "You believe this to be a dream? If it frightens you, we can assure that you forget it all, once Severus is safe. You have been chosen, Edward McGonagall. You found the vessel that was once used as an oracle for the lesser gods. We are fortunate that you take such care. Not all who seek ancient treasures are as careful with them." She smiled at him and he felt as if he would do anything for this woman, even if she was just a dream.

He looked from her to the dark man. "Perhaps you could explain where I am and why. If this is a dream, I would like to know that it will be a good one."

The dark man stepped forward. "I am Severus Snape. If you are willing, I would use you as a conduit to return to my proper existence."

"A conduit? Why would you need me? What will happen if I refuse?"

Severus could see the man struggling to appear unconcerned and he felt a bit of pity. "If you refuse, you will simply return to where you were before you came into the dream."

Edward tilted his head at Severus. "And you? What will happen to you?"

"If Elpis," he gestured at the woman, "cannot return me this time, I will eventually cease to exist."

Edward shoved his hands into his pockets as he thought. His face wrinkled in a frown and Severus thought that he could see a familial resemblance to Minerva around that mouth.

"Your cousin purses her mouth just like that, when she is irritated with me. I would know this because she has often been irritated with me over the years."

Edward looked at the man, searching the blank face and unable to tell if that was a lie or the truth. "I haven't seen her in years. That branch of the family is considered a bit eccentric."

Severus waited for a moment and then replied. "The eccentricity is magic. Minerva is quite powerful."

Edwards eyebrows shot up at that. "There were always rumors, of course. But no one ever seemed to dig deep enough to prove anything."

"The wizarding world keeps itself apart from those who are not. But Elpis claims that you have magic in you, as well."

"If I do, it's a well-kept secret. When I was a child, funny things would happen occasionally. But I grew out of it."

"Apparently not completely, if you are here," Severus said with a smirk.

Another thought occurred to Edward. "How am I to know that I'm not aiding a criminal? Perhaps you are here because you deserve to be."

Elpis drifted close again. "Severus was caught in this realm when the vessel he traveled through was destroyed. There are very few such vessels. Most have been broken or lost over the eons. The vessel you unearthed was made by the first gods to walk the earth with humans. Now that it has been found, it may be used by those who have the ability to transfer their dreams into it."

Edward looked astonished. "I put my dream into the bowl? I don't recall that."

"No," she shook her head. "Severus created a dream. Once we found the vessel, I was able to put it into the vessel. But without your help, he cannot use the vessel to travel through."

"But I can?" he questioned, trying to understand.

"For a time, the dream will remain in the vessel. But without being in the presence of strong magic, it will soon cease to exist, as will Severus."

"Aren't you magic, then?" He looked at Severus curiously.

"I was. My powers were taken when the Penseive, the other vessel, was destroyed. There is another wizard who will come looking for me. His powers are deadened also. Once we are reunited, both our powers should return."

"Will that be a good thing?"

"I am told that he destroyed the most evil wizard of our time, a man who would have eventually destroyed your world as well. I would say that it would be a very good thing."

Severus's face was grim with his determination to hide his emotion. Underneath it all, he was wanting to grab the man by the throat and scream obscenities at him until he agreed to let Severus exit the ancient vessel he had unearthed. His desperation to get to Harry was creating a rawness in him that he did not fully understand.

Edward walked back and forth in thought, appearing to give careful consideration to all he had been told. Finally, he looked at the silent woman and the tense dark man.

"I will do what you want." Whatever this was, whether a dream that would fade with the light of day, or whether it was real, he knew that he wanted it; even if it was a single moment of fantasy in his ordered life. If it was only that, he would always have it to think back upon whenever he needed a shot of drama to liven up things a bit. He could remember that he had been important to more than just the museums he worked for, fulfilling a need for someone, completing a wish.

Elpis smiled serenely, and said, "Severus will be disoriented and may not easily remember who or what he is, when he emerges from the vessel. He will need your care and protection for awhile, until my darkling brother finds him. He has been here too long for his mind to adjust easily to returning. Keep him safe, Edward McGonagall."

Elpis began to fade from view as the men watched. Edward turned to look at Severus and he started to say something before he suddenly felt his body falling into nothingness.

He opened his eyes and saw that he was on the floor of the tent beside his camp bed. Beside him, curled up on his side, was the man named Severus. Edward sat up, dizziness fading as he moved slowly. Leaning over, he gave Severus a gentle shake.

Black eyes snapped open, the dark-haired man gasping as if he had been without breath for an overly long moment. Jerking himself away from Edward, he banged up against the crate. He scrabbled backwards, his face one of utter confusion.

Edward extended a hand, "Easy there, mate. You've had a bit of a shock, but I expect it will be alright in a bit."

Severus stared at Edward, breathing hard. Slowly, he got the panting under control and he rubbed a wary hand over his face, and then through his hair. Wordlessly, he looked around the tent, taking in his surroundings.

Edward continued to speak gently, "None of this will look familiar to you. It's my tent, and these are my belongings. You came from there," he pointed to the crate behind Severus, where it still emitted a silvery glow.

Severus raised himself up to his knees and looked down into the vessel. The silver was still, and it showed him his reflection. After some minutes, he turned back to Edward. "Tell me who I am."

Edward pushed himself up to sit on the camp bed and proceeded to tell Severus his name, and all about the dream that they had just exited.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Harry looked at all the things he had spread across the bed. The Marauders Map would be pretty useless. The Invisibility Cloak wouldn't work for him right now, as it depended on the magic of the wearer to function as it should. Although the wand wouldn't work, he wanted it anyway. He settled on a couple pairs of blue jeans, some shirts, and the black frock coat. Nyx had told them to head to the country of Greece, home of the old gods. Remus and Albus had both tried to tell Harry that the coat would be too heavy for the climate. Harry didn't tell them that even if he didn't wear it, he slept with it folded beneath his head each night. Madam Pomfrey knew, but she kept her silence, not wishing to embarrass him. She could see that it offered him security in the absence of the Potions Master. Harry had everything stuffed into a shoulder pack when Remus arrived with his own pack.

"Ready?" Remus asked with a smile.

Harry nodded. "Do you think we will be able to find him before your next change?"

"Believe me, I'd like nothing better." He slung an arm around Harry's shoulders and they walked down to the castle gates, Jack jumping around their heels the whole way.

Minerva and Poppy joined Albus in bidding them a safe and successful journey. The Headmaster waved his hands over Harry, casting a disguising charm so that no one would recognize him. Remus picked up Jack and hugged Harry close before he Apparated them to the Ministry. From there, they took an International Portkey to Greece.

OoOoOoOoO

Edward sat back to stretch his aching back and push the back of his gloved hand across a sweaty brow. This archeological dig site had yielded more in the month since he had known Severus than he had ever recovered from a site before. He wondered if it had anything to do with helping out the wishes of an ancient goddess.

Looking over at Severus, he watched while the lanky man continued the careful dusting away of dirt from a protruding artifact. Edward had appreciated the natural tendency for care and precision that Severus had, and he immediately pressed him into service as part of his team. In a short time, Severus had proven himself to be more worthwhile than the rest of the interns and volunteers together. He worked steadily, without complaint of the heat or grime.

Edward had waited a few days after that awakening in his tent, and then had sent a query to one of his sisters about their cousin Minerva. If there was some sort of connection, perhaps he could facilitate getting this man back with the wizard said to be looking for him. He would hate to lose him as a worker, but he had certainly gained a better friend than he had ever had. In the evenings, the two had begun enjoying their tea over a chess board. At first, Edward had been easily winning. But after awhile, it seemed that the strategy of the game was sharpening the dulled mind of the dark-haired man. He began to win more than he lost until he won every game quite easily.

They were working together on a particularly sensitive area of the site, when a messenger approached with a letter. It was from his sister. She had remembered the odd way of sending communication to their cousin and had just received a reply. In response, she had sent Minerva the approximate location of her brother Edward. His sister felt that they would be receiving visitors very soon, if indeed Edward had the person they had been looking for.

OoOoOoOoO

Harry fell back on the bed, an arm slung across his eyes in defeat and fatigue. Who knew that one country could be so vast? If he could only open the link that he and Severus used to share, they would have been able to find each other immediately. At this rate, it would never happen. The Muggle crowds, the heat, the dust, all made him irritable, beyond what he felt at the continued separation from Severus.

Remus had left Harry to rest while he took his own shower down the hall in the old inn. The heat was getting to him, too, and he felt every bit of his age and then some. He knew Harry was discouraged. He had not begun to imagine that it would be this hard. The search was draining, as they showed a Muggle-ized picture of Severus at every place of business they passed, asking if anyone had seen him. How had he ever thought that they would be able to do this before the next full moon? It would not be long before he would be forced to take Harry back to Hogwarts until after his time of change and recovery.

Jack had followed him down the hallway, and the dog stood dejectedly in the shower with Remus, as if he too, wanted to wash off the day's dust and disappointment. They were making their way back to the room when a messenger stopped Remus and handed him a letter. Remus could barely understand the man's excitement, but finally got that the letter had arrived being carried by an owl, and dropped on the front desk. Remus tried to look suitably surprised so that the man wouldn't be suspicious of his acceptance of the mysteriously delivered letter.

He started to stop Harry from taking his turn in the shower, but then decided to read the letter on his own first. If it was bad news, he wanted to shield the young man from it as much as possible, maybe even keep it from him.

He toweled his hair while he opened the letter and sat on his bed to read it. All motion stopped as he took in it's contents. With a whoop of delight, he began to leap around the small room, causing Jack to bark in excitement. Remus scooped the dog up in his arms.

"He's here! In this town!"

He hurried through his dressing and a cursory combing out of his long, greyed hair before he ran downstairs to the front desk. The manager on duty was the one who had brought the letter to him and he haltingly gave Remus direction to the address contained in the letter.

When Remus returned to the room, Harry was back and toweling his own hair, looking out the balcony doors towards the lowering sun. Harry looked at him and saw the glint in the werewolf's eyes.

"What is it?"

Remus decided to keep the whole truth from Harry, in case this didn't pan out like he thought it would. "I think we should go out to dinner. The manager told me about a place that is supposed to have good food for a reasonable price."

Harry sat down on his bed. "I'm beat, and I'm not really all that hungry. You go ahead, though."

Remus shook his head. "No. You need a break from all this, and we both need a good meal. Get dressed. You'll feel better afterwards, I promise." He hoped that Harry would feel a _lot_ better when they got to the destination in the letter.

Harry sighed and tried not to feel resentful at Remus making him leave the rooms again, instead of letting him sulk in peace. He dressed himself in clean clothes and then followed Remus out of the inn, Jack tagging along.

Remus consulted the directions that had been scribbled on the letter several times. A last turn had them facing an area of the town that had been cordoned off with rope that had little red warning flags tied to it. A great pit was open before them, parts of ancient walls showing here and there. Several other areas were roped off within the pit, where people were working on their hands and knees, wielding tiny brushes to laboriously uncover what lay beneath the earth.

Harry sighed heavily. "I think you took a wrong turn, Rem. That, or we have to unearth our own dinner from ancient remains."

Remus ignored Harry, his hand shielding his eyes as he looked out over the dig site. Suddenly, Jack took off, barking joyfully as his feet raced down into the pit. Harry called after him, feeling that the dog would probably get them all removed from the site, if not the city, for daring to spoil a working dig site.

Beside Harry, Remus was now craning his neck, not calling to the dog as Harry would have expected, but seeming to be testing the air with his own sensitive nose as he followed the dog's progress.

Down in the very bottom of the pit, a kneeling figure raised itself up to watch the dog racing towards him. Dressed in the sun-reflecting light cotton caftans of the native workers, the figure suddenly stood as Jack approached.

Harry moaned as the dog continued a bee-line to a particular worker. Why was Jack attacking? Surely there weren't Death Eaters still hiding away here, of all places? When Jack leaped into the accepting arms of the man and began jumping up and licking his face, Harry gasped, unable to accept what this meant.

For a few moments, he watched, and then the man looked up at Harry and Remus, pushing back the flowing head dressing as he did so. A head of dark hair was revealed, and Harry could see the white streak in it from where he stood.

Severus locked his black eyes on Harry's green ones. For another long moment, they simply stood looking at each other, as if not able to believe that this was real.

Then Harry was slipping and sliding down the dirt and gravel sides of the pit, as Severus began to make his own way up.

They met in a bone-crushing hug, Harry crying with relief. Severus broke the hug only to hold Harry back long enough to look into the green eyes. A flood of forgotten memories swept over him and he pulled Harry back against his chest tightly.

Remus remained at the top of the pit, watching, and seeing, as only eyes with magic could, the aura that erupted around the two men as they embraced each other. Jack was jumping up and down all around their feet and another man walked up to them slowly. Jack allowed the man to capture him and hold him up where he could reach out and nose the two whose attention he sought.

Severus finally stepped back from Harry and held out a hand to Edward. Harry shook Edward's hand and then they all began to climb back out of the pit.

At the top, Severus eyed Remus for a long moment before he hesitantly embraced the werewolf. His arms tightened, and Remus could only stay still in astonishment as Severus whispered, "Thank you for keeping him safe. I am in debt to you."

Remus stepped back and shook his head. "No. You are not in debt to anyone. Harry destroyed Voldemort. Everyone is indebted to him. He is my cub-child, my pack brother. If anything, I have only done what family would, to aid family."

Severus stared at him hard before nodding. Putting his arm around a joyous Harry Potter again, the four men and a dog walked away from the ancient site and back towards the new world.

_**Finis**_

_**A/N: **__Well, it's over at last! At this time, I do not plan a sequel to these two stories. I have plans that Search For His Soul will not be linked to these after all. _

_I do have another story that Miss Muse is working hard at getting me to write. It will probably be called Black Phoenix, and it will be an AU after the final battle has been fought. If you have me on author alert, you will be able to check it out and see if it's your cup of tea!_

_One last humongous THANK YOU to every one of my wonderful readers and reviewers. You have kept me going this past year! Special shout out to Kim! My online rock and anchor!_

_Another gigantic THANK YOU to logicalquirk for her unfailing hard work and honesty throughout her beta reading of these stories, and more on the side that have not yet been posted. You're the best, Lauren and I love you for it!_

_One last major disclaimer: I do not own Harry, Severus, or any of the other characters belonging to the talented JKR. I express my deepest gratitude to her for allowing me to play in the Hogwarts Playhouse for a bit and shift things around into a new AU!_


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